Meant to Be?
by CountryxBarbie
Summary: Jeff Hardy is recruited to train a twenty-one year old named Hope. Sparks start to form between the two. Especially when CM Punk takes an interest in Hope. Will Punk win over Hope? Or will Jeff be standing in his way? Only time will tell. JeffOCPunk.
1. Chapter 1: The Meeting

_8:00 A.M._ Jeff Hardy glances at his alarm clock. Technically, this is one of his 'off' days. He's not scheduled to appear on _Monday Night Raw_ today. However, he has been assigned to train a young female wrestler. Since he'd rather be out wrestling for the fans, Jeff's first thoughts were _Damn you, Vince_. But, there was no way of getting around this. He'd suck it up. I mean, he was Jeff Hardy after all. Like the good sport that he was, Jeff changed into his usual ring attire. This girl--Hope--was supposed to meet him at 8:30. The rainbow-haired warrior looked at his watch. _8:15 A.M. _He had about fifteen minutes to get to the arena. She was probably already waiting for him. It didn't take Jeff long to drive to the arena. The hotel he was staying at was only four blocks away. Once Jeff entered the arena, he saw a tall brunette standing by the ring.

"Are you Hope?" he asked.

The girl turned and Jeff was stunned by her beauty. She had long brown hair and beautiful chocolate brown eyes. She was tall and thin with a few muscles. She was beautiful but she looked tough. The girl had a 'Mess-with-me-and-you-die' attitude. For the moment, Jeff was rendered unintelligible. He'd expected to be training a manly girl, kind of like Beth Phoenix. But, this girl was quite the opposite. Actually, she reminded Jeff of Ashley and Maria mixed together. He expected this girl to be sweet and innocent but a lethal weapon when provoked. Jeff suddenly realized the girl hadn't answered his question. Then he realized he hadn't said it out loud. She'd only turned because the door had slammed shut after Jeff walked in.

"Are you Hope?" Jeff repeated.

"Yes," the girl answered. "And you're Jeff Hardy."

Hope could tell by the look on Jeff's face that he really didn't want to be training her. She couldn't blame him. If she would've had a career like Jeff's she wouldn't have want to be stuck with a trainee either. Hope, on the other hand, was excited for her training. Who wouldn't be? Her biggest dream was finally coming true. And her favorite wrestler was her trainer. Could life get any better?

"So," Jeff started. "Should we get started?"

"Ready when you are," Hope replied, smiling.

"Great," Jeff nodded. "You look so young," he blurted.

Jeff's eyes widened when he realized that he'd said that out loud.

"I'm sorry. That was rude."

Hope shrugged her broad shoulders. "It's okay," she said. "I'm only twenty-one, by the way."

"Vince didn't mention that you were that young," Jeff said. _Or how beautiful you are_, he thought to himself.

"Let's just get started," Hope replied with a laugh.

"Fine by me."


	2. Chapter 2: Jeff's Mixed Feelings

The two trained for a few hours before Jeff had to meet up with his brother Matt. They agreed on a specific day to meet up for training. Hope left first, exhausted from the training. Not that she minded at all. She'd get used to it soon. Which was exactly the brunette wanted. Running her fingers through her glossy brown hair, Hope stole one last glance at Jeff. As she exited the empty arena, she couldn't help but wonder why her heart fluttered when she saw Jeff. Unbeknownst to Hope, Jeff was asking himself the exact same question.

_Why am I getting this fluttery feeling around her?_ Jeff couldn't help but let that question run through his mind on his way to the coffee shop. When he got there, Matt was already at a booth, a coffee in his hand. Jeff was so in a daze that he almost walked right past his older brother.

"Hey, Jeff," Matt said, grabbing his brother's arm. "What's with you?"

Jeff shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Matt," he replied. "I just got done training that new diva."

Matt's eyes widened with interest. "Yeah? How is she?"

"Beautiful."

"That's not what I meant."

Matt laughed a bit. He expected Jeff to be all professional with his answer and leaving out comments about the rookie diva's looks. Matt knew his little brother wasn't looking for a relationship, especially after his last one. That'd been horrendous for both Hardys. However, the elder Hardy couldn't understand why his little brother seemed so aloof. This rookie must've been incredible.

"Her name's Hope," Jeff told him. "Kind of ironic since I've been wanting to give up hope in everything."

Matt rolled his eyes. "You really gotta stop with those thoughts, man," he ordered. "Your last relationship sucked, Michaela was a slut. Deal with it."

Jeff wasn't sure if his brother's words were supposed to make him feel better. It didn't. But, Matt's advice was usually like that. Harsh at first, until you looked at the deeper meaning. Jeff was already seeing the deeper meaning. Basically, Matt was saying that Jeff needed to move on and maybe Hope would be good for him.

"You getting the hots for her?" Matt teased.

"No," Jeff replied, sharply. "I'm not ready for that. Besides, she's a trainee."

"Whatever you say, little bro."


	3. Chapter 3: Raw's Newest Diva

Jeff rolled his eyes, knowing deep down Matt was right. Sooner or later he'd have to move on. He was planning on making it later. Maybe Jeff _was_ developing some little crush on Hope. So what? It was harmless, like he was back in kindergarten. Things would fine in the end. All Jeff had to do was get through the training with Hope. She didn't seem to have any feelings for him anyway. Jeff played it off like he didn't care. But did he really care? Matt was sure he did.

After six months of training, Hope and Jeff had grown extremely close. Finally, Hope had her debut match. In Greenwich, Connecticut, Triple H's hometown. She'd gone over her contract with Vince McMahon and William Regal the previous day. Originally, Regal wanted Hope to be a valet for Paul London and Brian Kendrick. Vince wouldn't have that. He liked the brunette's no-nonsense attitude. He knew she'd do better as a regular diva. Hope's first match was against Melina. Jeff was feuding with Santino Marella this week and they had a match tonight as well. Jeff would be backstage, showing Hope the ropes, when Santino and Melina show up. Santino and Jeff have a few words about their upcoming match. Melina then calls Hope a 'silly little child' and Hope is supposed to respond slapping the taste out of Melina's mouth.

The brunette was more than happy to oblige that. She'd always been an avid wrestling fan and Melina had never been her favorite diva. Hope sat in her hotel room changing into her wrestling attire, which consisted of dark-washed jeans shorts and a tight black racer-back tank top. She usually wore actual colors, but this tank happened to be her favorite.

"You nervous, Hope?"

Hope stopped lacing up her boots, smiling at the familiar Southern accent. It was Jeff. He'd been so kind to her over the last six months. She still got those fluttery feelings when she heard his accent. It made her melt. The slender brunette stood up and strode over to Jeff, pulling him into a hug.

"Nah, I'm not nervous," she said. "I'm excited. I've always wanted to bitch-slap Melina."

"You're twisted," Jeff laughed.

Hope laughed as well. She crossed over to the bed and sat down. Even though they were staying in a hotel, the bed was surprisingly comfortable. Jeff sat down on the bed next to her. His gorgeous green eyes stared right into her chocolate brown ones. As Hope turned away, Jeff let a grin cross his lips.

"This is for good luck," he said.

Jeff leaned in to kiss Hope on the cheek just as she turned around. Inadvertently, their lips locked. Neither one rushed to pull away. To Hope, it felt like gravity was pulling her closer to Jeff. When the two finally pulled away, Matt strode in. He stopped and examined the looks on both Jeff's and Hope's faces. He knew something was up.

"Did I interrupt something?" Matt asked. "If I did, I'll just leave."

As he spoke, he started to head back towards the door. Jeff quickly got off the bed, walking over to his brother.

"No, no. You didn't interrupt anything," he answered. "I was just wishing Hope good luck."

"Ah," Matt said. "So _you're_ the infamous Hope."

Hope grinned, good-naturedly. "Yep, that's me."

Matt gave his brother a thumbs up sign when Hope wasn't looking. Jeff rolled his eyes, shoving his older brother. He'd gone a whole five minutes without thinking about Hope that way. Leave it to Matt to stir up those thoughts again. Jeff let out a sigh, wondering if Hope's heart was fluttering too. She kept playing it off like it was nothing. But, did she really feel something? It was hard to tell with Hope.

"You almost ready Hope?" Jeff asked. "We need to start heading to the arena."

"Yeah, sure. Just gimme a minute," Hope replied.

Twenty minutes later, Hope, Jeff and Matt were backstage at the _Monday Night Raw _arena. Vince had asked to see Hope one last time, just to make sure she understood the night's storyline. On her way out, Hope bumped into Melina. Melina eyed Hope, sizing her up. Naturally, Hope did the same, rolling her eyes at Melina's glare.

"Just so you know," Melina sneered. "I don't like you; in character and out of character."

"Well, that's good to know, Melina." Hope held back her laughter.

Melina shot her a dirty glare and shoved past her. When she was gone, Hope couldn't help but laugh. Did Melina expect her to be intimidated and cry? Sure, Hope knew Melina was a hell of a lot more experienced than her. But, that didn't mean she was better. Hope had to admit, however, some of the Divas _did_ intimidate her. Not that she'd ever admit that. Firstly, Hope never admitted that she was intimidated. She didn't like to show weakness. Lastly, showing a weakness was like suicide in WWE. Hope started walking to the Diva's locker room when she bumped into Matt.

"Oh, hey Matt," she said, a smile crossing her lips.

"Hey," Matt replied. "Damn, you don't look nervous at all."

"Melina just tried to intimidate me," Hope said. "It was kinda funny, actually."

"Well, be careful. Melina's vicious with rookies. No offense."

"None taken, darling."


	4. Chapter 4: Love Triangle

Before they knew it, Hope and Jeff were standing backstage with WWE cameras on them. The two were deep in conversation about the basic things that Hope needed to know. Right on cue, Santino and Melina came by. Santino started on Jeff immediately, talking in his horrid broken English. His Italian wasn't much better in Hope's opinion. She pretty much zoned out when Santino spoke.

"…And your little rookie diva could never be as beautiful as my Melina," Santino finished, his Italian accent thick.

"Good luck tonight," Melina spat. "You're gonna need it, silly little whore."

Hope smiled sweetly. Then she threw a punch at Melina. The Diva staggered back, holding her jaw. The punch wasn't in the script but neither was the 'whore' comment. Santino and Jeff stared at the ladies in utter shock. Hope half expected Melina to hit her back. But, she didn't. She was probably in too much shock.

"You've just made the biggest mistake of your life," Melina snapped.

The cameras followed Melina as she and Santino stormed off. When the cameras were gone, Jeff burst into laughter. Hope hit him in the chest but he kept laughing.

"What's so funny?" Hope demanded.

"You nearly knocked Melina off her feet!" Jeff exclaimed. "Oh, that was great."

"She just pissed me off. I can't stand her."

"I think it's safe to say the feeling's mutual."

Hope rolled her eyes at Jeff's comment. Pretty soon it was time for her match. The brunette stood backstage, warming up. Both Hardys had just wished her luck and she was feeling better than ever. Once Hope heard her music, everything else lost existence. She entered the ring Stacy Keibler style. People were actually cheering for her. There were a few 'boos' in there as well. But, Hope didn't expect to be cheered at all. She fought an eye roll at the sound of Melina's music. Her entrance was so cheesy. The paparazzi, the split. All of it. Melina didn't hide her hatred for Hope.

The moment the bell rang, Melina speared Hope. Hope hadn't seen it coming and felt the spear at full impact. As Melina prepared to drop an elbow on her, Hope kicked her in the face. The match went on with each Diva getting in a few good hits on each other. Just when the fans and everyone thought Melina was going to win, Hope surprised them all. She used a spinning heel kick to Melina out and pinned her for the three count.

"Here is your winner…Hope!" Lillian Garcia announced.

Hope was ecstatic when the referee raised her arm. God, it felt _so_ good. Jeff even came out to the ring and raised her hand in victory. He gave her a victory kiss too. This time it was on the cheek. Hope could hear Melina whining about how it wasn't fair. That only made the night even better for her. Her first victory felt amazing. When she got backstage, pretty much everyone was cheering for her. Maria came over to her and squeezed her into a hug. Hope and Maria had met when Hope first started her training. They've been like sisters ever since.

"Your match was absolutely amazing!" Maria squealed.

"I agree," a deep voice said. "I couldn't tear my eyes away."

Hope and Maria both turned to see CM Punk. Hope couldn't take her eyes off of his lip ring. Sure, his tattoos were hot and all. But, it was the lip ring that did it for Hope. That and just the way he looked. Yeah, she understood why girls swooned over him. But, Hope didn't plan on swooning. She planned on flirting.

"Really, Hope," CM Punk said. "Your match was great."

"Thanks, Punk," Hope replied.

"So, you thinking about celebrating tonight?"

"Well, I was gonna--"

"Why don't you take it easy, Romeo?" Jeff interjected.

Hope remained silent as Punk stepped up to Jeff. The two stared each other down for a few minutes. Punk had only been flirting with Hope for fun. Until he saw the death glare Jeff was giving him. Then he was intrigued. Did Jeff have a thing for Hope? That seemed to be the question on everyone's mind.

"Sorry, Jeff. I didn't know you owned her," Punk snapped.

Before Jeff could do or say anything, Matt held him back. He knew his little brother could be severely hotheaded at times. Like now, for instance. Matt wasn't sure if Jeff was being overprotective because he liked Hope or because he thought of her like a sister. Jeff kept denying anything about having feelings for Raw's newest Diva. Matt was beginning to think otherwise now.

"Don't, Jeff. Just leave it," Matt ordered.

"Whatever," Jeff replied.

He walked off with Matt following close behind him. He was pretty pissed at the moment. Who the hell did Punk think he was? How dare he flirt with Hope when she was… When she was what? Punk was right. Jeff didn't own Hope. Nobody did. Jeff tried convincing himself that Hope was simply like a sister to him.


	5. Chapter 5: Tension In The Air

"What was all that about?" Matt asked.

"Nothing," Jeff answered. "Hope's like my little sister. I got a little overprotective."

"A little?"

Jeff shot his older brother a death glare. When it came to friends, both Hardys got extremely protective. They'd been that way since they were young. Matt saw that his brother was starting to calm down. Maybe he was wrong after all. Jeff only seemed to care for Hope as a little sister. Her feelings were even harder to figure out. It didn't matter though. Jeff was steering clear of relationships at all costs. All because of one girl. Michaela and Jeff had been a picture perfect couple. Sometimes they were so cute it made Matt want to vomit. He knew from the start that Michaela wasn't right for his brother. Jeff was too love-blind to see it.

"_I'm telling you, man. Michaela's cheating on you," Matt told his brother._

"_Would you give that a rest? She's not cheating," Jeff argued._

"_Really? So why has she been avoiding you all this week?"_

"_She's sick."_

_Matt rolled his eyes at Jeff's pathetic reply. Sure, he had no proof that Michaela was cheating on Jeff. But, she had been flirting with him constantly. Like the other day, for instance. Jeff had gone to use the bathroom and Michaela started flirting with Matt almost immediately. Naturally, Matt told her to cut it out. Flirting with a beautiful girl was one thing. When that girl was your brother's girlfriend it was a whole different ballpark._

"_Yeah, she's sick of lying to you," Matt mumbled._

"_What the hell is your problem?" Jeff snapped. "What did Michaela ever do to you?"_

"_I just don't think she's good for you, Jeff."_

"_Jealous maybe?"_

"_Not at all."_

_Matt rolled his eyes, following Jeff into their hotel room. They'd just finished a show in Montreal and Jeff knew Michaela would be waiting for him here. If only he was prepared for what came next. _

"_Mickey?" Jeff called out._

_He saw his girlfriend's red hair sticking out from underneath the covers of the hotel bed. A grin crossed his lips, thinking she'd fallen asleep. Jeff strode over to the bed and pulled off the covers. His grin twisted into a look of horror with what he saw. Michaela was asleep all right. But, she had two men wrapped around her slender body as well. Jeff couldn't speak, his throat was dry. Michaela opened her eyes, a look of horror crossing her face._

"_Jeff, baby, I-I can explain," Michaela stammered._

"_Don't," Jeff warned. "Don't even bother."_

_Matt took it upon himself to throw the two guys out. Literally. He grabbed them by their long hair, dragged them out of the bed and tossed them out the door. It was only then that Matt realized the two guys were Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder, the Edgeheads. Jeff noticed it too. He was sure Edge was behind this. Edge had stated, on more than one occasion, that Michaela deserved a guy like him; not a Hardy._

"_Jeff, please. Let me explain…" Michaela begged._

"_Get out," Jeff ordered._

"_This was all Edge's idea. He…"_

"_GET OUT!"_

_Michaela didn't stop to grab her belongings, she just quickly hurried out. Jeff collapsed onto the bed, not saying a word. Everything was still sinking in. The realization of it all hadn't fully hit him yet. Matt looked over at his brother, feeling guilty that he'd been right all a long._

"_Jeff…" Matt started._

"_I swear if you say 'I told you so', I'll kill you," Jeff cut him off._

"_I was gonna say I'm sorry."_

Hope sighed heavily. She couldn't believe the way Jeff had acted when she'd been talking to CM Punk. It was just so overprotective. All they'd been doing was harmless flirting. Harmless? Well, for the most part it was harmless. It wasn't like she was _trying_ to make Jeff jealous. No, no. She wasn't that kind of person. But, Jeff was like a brother to her. That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.

The kiss.

When he'd accidentally kissed her, she'd like it. More than she should have. Neither one of them were looking for a relationship. Hope had never had any really luck with guys. She'd always been part of the 'guy-uses-girl-to-get-best-friend' equation. Way to build self-confidence. Even with all that, Hope had retained her pride and self-confidence. She didn't come to WWE for a relationship. She came to fulfill her dream. That's what she was planning on doing.

There was a knock on the door and Maria entered along with Ashley. The two Divas were both carrying some junk food with them. Maria tossed the junk food onto Hope's bed, a smiling dancing on her lips. Ashley was smiling too. Hope had a feeling Maria had mentioned the altercation between Punk and Jeff.

"What?" Hope asked.

"You know what," Maria rolled her eyes. "What's with Punk and Jeff fighting over you?"

"They weren't fighting over me!" Hope argued. "Jeff's like my brother."

"That's not what Matt said," Ashley sing-songed.

"I wasn't going to tell her that!" Maria shoved her.

"Tell me what?!" Hope demanded.

Ashley and Maria both fell silent. Hope didn't take her gaze off of either of them. Maria chewed on her bottom lip, looking up at Hope. She stole a glance at Ashley, who simply nodded, telling her to go on.

"Well, it's not a hundred percent true," Maria started. "But, I overheard Matt and Jeff talking about when he kissed you."

"So?" Hope said.

"So, I asked Matt about it. He said that Jeff admitted to liking you," Maria replied.

"But, when I asked him about it, he kept saying you were like a sister," Ashley added.

"I talked to Punk too. He definitely likes you," Maria grinned. "He said your charisma is pretty damn hot."

"He really said that?" Hope asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm," Ashley nodded. "I was with her when he said it."

"What are you gonna do?" Maria asked.

Hope tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"Gee, I don't know," Maria said, sarcastically. "You have two guys fighting over you!"

"I'd go for Punk," Ashley offered. "But, you and Jeff would look great together."

"Stop it. Both of you," Hope ordered. "I didn't come here for a boyfriend."

"So you say," Maria and Ashley said in unison.

Hope tossed a pillow at them, a grin forming on her face. She'd tried--and failed--to hide it. Ashley grabbed the pillow and tossed it back at Hope. Maria caught the blonde Diva off-guard with another pillow. The three Divas collapsed into a heap of giggles, throwing pillows at each other. As the pillow fight went on, Hope kept picturing Jeff's face in her mind. His lip ring, his eyes. All of him.

As the months passed, Hope's skill kept increasing. She'd lost only one match since her debut. That match had been against Beth Phoenix and it was the toughest match Hope had ever been in. _Monday Night Raw_ was in Hope's hometown tonight: New York City. She had a match against Michelle McCool, another Diva she'd gotten close with. Hope won the match with a handspring back elbow. That became her signature move. Jerry Lawler had dubbed the move 'Losing Hope'. The name fit. After being hit with that, Hope's opponents lost all hope of winning the match.

After her match, Hope was heading backstage. She caught a glimpse of Punk waiting for her. Once Vince found out about the fight between Punk and Jeff, he thought it was brilliant. He wanted Punk to frequently make visits to _Raw_ and have matches with Hope on his arm. Jeff was then supposed to get all jealous and attack Punk. The attack would inspire Vince to give the two a match at the upcoming PPV. The next PPV would be _Backlash_ and Hope's match was set. She was going against Mickie James for the Women's Championship.

"Stalking me now, Punk?" Hope teased.

"Aw, you caught me, darling," Punk replied. "No, my match with Santino's next."

"I see. That should be easy for you."

"Listen, Hope. I'd really like to take you for a drink after the show."

"I don't know, Punk. I just…"

"Please say yes," Punk looked her in the eye. "C'mon Hope, leave the Hardy boys alone for one night."

Hope sighed, smiling. "Sure. I'd love that."

"Great. I'm gonna get ready for my match."

"Here is your winner…CM Punk!" Lillian announced.

Hope raised Punk's arm in victory. Punk pulled the slim brunette into a hug, then, without warning, he kissed her. At that moment, Jeff's music blasted and Jeff came running out. He dove into the ring, spearing Punk. He grabbed the mic from Lillian.

"Don't you dare touch her like that again!" he grumbled into the mic.

Punk quickly jumped to his feet. This wasn't just for the storyline anymore. This was an actual feud. Punk shoved Jeff, ripping the mic from his hands. The two men stood glaring at each other. Hope tried to hold Punk back but he pulled his arm out of her grasp.

"You sound a little jealous, Hardy," Punk spat. "Because I got the girl _and_ I won the match."

Hope stepped in between the two of them when she saw Jeff was about to lunge at Punk. Moments later, Vince's music started to play. He came about halfway down the entrance ramp before he started to speak.

"If you two wanna fight each so badly, that's fine with me!" Vince began. "At _Backlash_, it'll be Jeff Hardy versus CM Punk…in a ladder match!"

With that, Vince turned headed backstage. Punk and Jeff still glared at each other while Hope stood between them. Jeff grabbed Hope by the arm and pretty much dragged her out of the ring. Punk stood there for a moment before he left as well. There was a mixture cheers and boos as he left. For once, Punk paid the fans no mind. This wasn't a silly storyline anymore.

Once they were backstage, Hope pulled her arm out of Jeff's grasp. He glared at her, pumping green fire into her face. She wanted to hit him but couldn't bring herself to do it. Not with those eyes staring deep into her soul.

"What's your problem, Jeff?" Hope snapped.

"I'm sorry," Jeff frowned. "I just don't trust Punk. At all."

"I can take care of myself, y'know."

"I know. You're like my little sister, I have to protect you."

"Yeah, yeah," Hope teased.

"You wanna go grab a drink at the bar?" Jeff asked.

"Actually, Punk asked me earlier."

Jeff forced a smile, "Oh, that's cool. I was wondering when you'd get sick of being a Hardy girl."

"I'll never get sick of you. Or your brother," she laughed. "See ya later."

"Yeah. See ya."

Jeff frowned, watching Hope walk off. He didn't want to lose such a great girl to Punk. But, he also wasn't sure if he was ready. Getting hurt again was _not_ an option. When he looked up again, Randy Orton was standing in front of him. Jeff tried to hide a groan. This would just make his night so great.

"What do you want, Orton?" Jeff asked.

"Oh, nothing," Randy replied. "I just couldn't help but notice how you let Punk walk away with your girl."

"She's not my girl," Jeff argued. "She's just a friend."

"Yeah, right," Randy rolled his eyes. "And Santino Marella is a great wrestler."

"Don't you have anyone else's life to ruin?"

"I'm just saying, Hardy, you don't want to lose another girl to a better guy."

Jeff slapped Randy in the face. Before Randy could retaliate, he stormed off. Leave it to the overly-cocky Orton to put him in a pissed off mood. He went back to the hotel for a quiet night, no longer in the mood for a few drinks with everyone. Matt had tried to convince him to still go out but that worked to no avail. When Jeff made up his mind, good luck trying to change it for him.

Punk led Hope to a table in the back. He was surprised that she still agreed to go with him, especially after his verbal spat with Jeff. But, Hope naïvely believed it was just for the storyline's sake. Punk didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. He knew Jeff didn't either. He ordered them both Apple Martinis.

"Listen," Punk began. "I'm sorry about that whole thing with Jeff."

"It's okay," Hope waved him off. "It's for the storyline."

"Yeah…"

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Everything's fine, Hope."

"Are you sure? You can tell me."

Punk turned to look Hope in the eyes. Instead of telling her anything, he pulled her into a deep kiss. This time there was no hesitation, no one to interrupt them. Hope found herself kissing Punk back, her hands discovering his face as she bit his lip ring. She felt his strong arms around her and his tongue feeling for hers. Hope didn't want to pull away but she needed to come up for air. Their eyes locked and a smile formed on both their lips.

"How about we go back to the hotel?" Punk offered.

"That's a great idea," Hope replied.

Punk smiled, taking Hope's hand and kissing her once more. He led her back to the hotel, his arms around the whole time. Hope couldn't keep the genuine smile of off her face. She was glad to get away from the Hardys for one night. Punk hung a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door before he locked it. He guided Hope towards the bed, kissing her soft lips.


	6. Chapter 6: Torn Between Two

Hope woke up the next morning with Punk's arms wrapped around her torso. She tried to sit up without waking him. It didn't work and Punk sat up as well. He gazed at her and smiled sleepily when their eyes locked.

"Morning, sleepy head," Hope grinned.

"Mmm, so it wasn't a dream," Punk replied.

Hope shook her head, kissing him. "Nope. No dream."

"Last night was too good to be true."

"I should get back to my hotel room."

Punk faked a pout, pulling Hope close to him. Their lips lingered close but never touched. Hope winked before leaving Punk to head back to her hotel room. Once she got there, Maria, Ashley and Matt were waiting for her. By the looks on their faces, they knew Hope had been with Punk the night before. Hope looked at them, waiting for someone to speak.

"Have a good night?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, it was pretty good," Hope answered.

"Pretty good?" Ashley echoed. "If I spent the night with CM Punk, it'd be more than 'pretty good'."

Hope remained silent, looking away. She tucked some dark hair behind her ears, chewing on her bottom lip. Maria knew that was her nervous habit. Then it hit her. Maria's mouth pretty much dropped to the floor.

"You slept with Punk?!" Maria exclaimed.

Both Matt's and Ashley's eyes widened. They looked towards Hope, awaiting an answer. Hope didn't look up at them just yet. She didn't really want to answer the question but she had to. They'd hound her until they got an answer from her. She might as well give them what they wanted. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Yes," Hope confessed.

"I thought you didn't come here for a boyfriend," Maria teased.

"I didn't! Can we drop this, please?"

"For now we can," Ashley replied.

She and Maria started to head out. Matt stayed behind to talk to Hope. He was still shocked at what she'd just confessed. However, he could sense there was just a hint of regret. Maybe he'd be able to get some answers out of her.

"You okay, Hope? You don't look so good." Matt asked.

Hope shrugged, "I'm not feeling so good right now."

"Does it have anything to do with Punk? Or maybe Jeff?"

"Both."

"Both? Well, how so? Maybe I can help."

"Matt, it's just…I can't explain it," Hope frowned.

"Hope, you can tell me anything," Matt replied.

"I like Punk, but when I see Jeff…I just melt."

"You melt?" Matt teased.

Hope shoved him. "Don't make fun of me, asshole."

"Okay, I'm sorry. The melting, is it good or bad."

"I don't know. Good?"

"If it's a good feeling, then go with it."

Hope and Punk started to see more and more of each other. Jeff was still in the dark about the full extent of their relationship. Hope had plans to keep it that way. Why? Just the simple reason that she was still struggling with her feelings for both tattooed and pierced men. Of course she had to go and meet two incredibly attractive men. And to think that people killed to be her position. Hope would kill to get out of it. Maybe Matt was right. The melting and fluttery feelings around Jeff were a good thing. Maybe she should just go with it. That still left Punk.

Jeff had this feeling that something had gone on between Hope and Punk. Something that everyone was hiding from him. Not even Matt or Maria would tell him anything. It seemed that the whole _Raw_ roster knew what went on. Jeff had even stooped low enough to ask Edge and Randy if they knew anything. All he from those two idiots was a bunch of cocky, sarcastic remarks. Jeff was headed back to the locker room when he saw Ashley. He ran to catch up with her, hoping she knew something.

"Ashley, you got a minute?" Jeff asked.

"For you? Of course, Jeff," Ashley answered, smiling.

"What happened between Hope and Punk?"

"Oh, don't start that again. They're friends."

"You're lying to me. I know something happened."

Ashley sighed, "Jeff, they slept together."

"They what?"

"Slept together. Had sex. You know what I mean."

"I-I can't believe it. He…she…"

"Do you like her? Hope, I mean."

"I don't know. Maybe, it's possible."

Jeff didn't say anything further. What else could he say? There wasn't much. Why did Hope want to keep this from him? Maybe she didn't want to hurt him. If she didn't want to hurt him, did that mean she had feelings for him? Jeff desperately wanted to know. But, part of him didn't. There was this great part of him that wanted to shun relationships. Yet, the green-eyed monster came out when he thought of Punk with his arms around Hope.

"Jeff, I was looking everywhere for you!"

Jeff turned to see Hope rushing towards him. He stopped walking, letting her catch up to him. He couldn't help but smile when he saw her. How could he get mad at her for sleeping with Punk? She was just too cute, too sweet. Was it even possible for someone to be mad at her. Even if someone got mad at her, they'd forgive her as soon as they looked into Hope's beautiful, big brown eyes.

"What did you need, Hope?" Jeff asked.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to grab lunch tomorrow," Hope answered.

"Yeah. That'd be great."

"Awesome. I'll call you later."

Jeff smiled at her as she walked off. Maybe by then he'd figure out what his feelings were. Then maybe he'd stopped feeling so low. He hated that feeling so bad. It wasn't as bad as when he caught Michaela cheating on him. But, it was still pretty bad. What sucked was that Hope kept her feelings to herself. Jeff had no idea how she felt about him. Well, he knew she didn't hate him. That was obvious, though. Hope made it very clear if she hated you. Other than that, unless she actually said 'I like you', you didn't know.

CM Punk was on a roll. Since he'd gotten closer to Hope, he hadn't lost a match. And neither had she. Things couldn't be better for Punk. Except the fact the in the beginning he'd been using Hope. Now it was a different story. Granted, it only seemed like a short period of time. But, Punk really fell for her. What would she do if she found out that he'd been using her? She'd kill him. No questions asked. She'd also use his signature move the G.T.S. on him. He'd recently taught Hope the Go To Sleep and she wasn't half bad at it. She was a quick learner.

But, Punk didn't like the way Jeff was so protective over he. Quite frankly, it pissed him off. Was it Punk's fault that Jeff didn't have the guts to admit his feelings? No. If only Punk knew the half of it. Regardless, the whole overprotective gimmick was annoying and unnecessary. They both knew Hope could take care of herself. She made sure they knew. Punk wasn't too happy about Hope going to lunch with Jeff. But, he couldn't do anything. They weren't dating and even if they were, he still had very little say. It simply bugged him that Hope hid her feelings. What was she so afraid of? Punk was now determined to find an answer to that question. He knew it would take some time before Hope fully opened up to him. That was fine. He had no problem waiting. Besides, he truly cared for her.

Jeff sat in a booth a the little diner Hope had told him about. She said they made the best burgers ever. He wasn't waiting long when he saw the familiar brunette stroll in. She waved and made her way over. Just as she sat down, the waitress came over. Hope ordered a bacon ranch cheeseburger and Jeff ordered a plain old hamburger.

"You're so boring," Hope teased. "A plain old hamburger?"

"It all ends up in the same place," Jeff laughed.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Are you dating him? Punk, I mean."

"No. What makes you think that?" Hope raised an eyebrow.

Jeff shrugged, "I don't know. You're always together."

"About that," Hope started. "I missed hanging out with my Hardy Boyz."

"Hope," Jeff paused, looking into her eyes. "I like you."

"Aw, Jeff. I like you too," Hope grinned. "You're one of my best friends."

Jeff smiled weakly, picking up his soda. He took a long sip as he stared out the window. Talk about pain. This was way worse than one of Ric Flair's low blows. This was brutal. But, at least he'd said it, right? At least he said _something_. Oh, who was he kidding? It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway. Wait. What was he thinking? _He_ was Jeff Hardy. _He_ was the Charismatic Enigma. He'd get the girl. Now he was determined. Did Punk really expect him to go down without a fight? Oh, no. This was war. Punk might've won the battle but the war raged on.

"You okay, Jeff?" Hope asked.

Jeff grinned, "Never been better, darlin'."

He knew that if Hope found out what he was planning, she'd personally kill him. But, Jeff didn't want to hurt her. That was the last thing on his mind. However, he happened to know that Punk was simply using Hope to make him jealous. It was low. Even for Punk. Jeff wouldn't have dared to do that. To anyone, not just Hope. He knew what it was like to be used. It hurt like hell and then some. There was no way he'd let Punk get away with that. Whether he liked Hope or not, Punk was going to regret this.

Hope couldn't help but think that Jeff was lying to her. Both her Hardys were her best friends. But, did Jeff feel something else? He never said anything to her, never made a move. Only after Punk started showing interest in her. Did Jeff and Punk hate each other that much? No. That was just too extreme. But, then again, Jeff Hardy and CM Punk were synonymous with extreme. Hope sighed, running her finger around the rim of her glass. Whatever was going on between the two, Hope wanted to know. She didn't want to be a pawn in their little game. She assumed they knew that.

"You wanna go play Guitar Hero?" Hope asked. "I've been dying to own your ass."

Jeff laughed, "You're on, Hope. Just don't cry when you lose."

"I wouldn't worry about _me_ losing."

"Oh? Well, we'll see about that."


	7. Chapter 7: Deal With It

CM Punk was simply minding his own business in the hotel lobby when Edge came over. Of course he'd brought the Edgeheads with him. Didn't Hawkins and Ryder have anything better to do than follow Edge around? Apparently not. Punk did his best to ignore Edge's presence. It worked to no avail. This was Edge. He always made himself known. Even if everyone booed him, he still claimed to be the Rated-R Superstar. _Rated-R for Retarded_, Punk thought to himself as Edge started to speak.

"I'm shocked that you let a Hardy go off with your girl," Edge said, pretending to be astounded.

"Hope's best friends with the Hardys," Punk explained. "And, she's not my girl."

"Best friends? How do you know they're not lovers?"

"Are you asking for me to beat the shit out you, Adam?"

"Somebody sounds jealous," Hawkins laughed.

Edge and Ryder joined in on his laughter. They were so caught up in their laughter that they didn't notice the anger building in Punk's eyes. It's too bad they didn't. They could've prepared themselves for Punk's next actions. No, that still wouldn't have helped them. Punk was unpredictable. He shot one last glare at Edge before slapping the taste out of Hawkins' mouth. Hawkins stumbled back into Ryder's arms, holding his jaw in pain. Hawkins didn't hit Punk back. He and Ryder just stormed off. Edge, however, remained.

"You're gonna regret doing that, Punk," he sneered. "Mark my words.

"Yeah," Punk rolled his eyes. "We'll see about that."

He said nothing further to Edge. It was like talking to a wall anyway. Edge had the I.Q. of a raisin. Punk's words probably went in one ear and out the other. He had a feeling Jeff wasn't going to give up easily. However, he was sort of having mixed feelings about the whole thing. What if he really hurt Hope? He wouldn't be able to live with that, hurting such a sweet girl. Punk knew if he wanted answers, Matt Hardy was the guy to talk to. Which explained why he was knocking on the oldest Hardy's hotel door. He waited patiently for Matt to open the door.

"Punk, hey," Matt said, opening the door. "Uh, can I help you?"

"I need to know about Hope and Jeff," Punk replied, bluntly.

"They're friends, okay? That's all I know."

"That's bull. Jeff's your brother, he had to tell you _something_."

"Boy likes girl. Girl likes another boy." Matt sighed, "That's all I'm saying."

"So Jeff really likes Hope?" Punk inquired.

"From what I can tell, yeah. He does."

"Hmm."

"You're really twisted if you're planning something," Matt said. "Is it really worth it?"

"I don't remember asking for your opinion, Matt."

Before he said or did something he'd regret later, Matt slammed the door in Punk's face. Jeff was his little brother and Matt would do anything for him. Which was why he'd tried to tell Jeff to go with his feelings when he first met Hope. The problem with Jeff was that once he made up his mind, there was no changing it. Matt sighed as he sat on his bed. He pulled out his cell phone, stopping on Jeff's number. He knew Jeff and Hope were still hanging out but his brother needed to know about what Punk was planning.

"Jeff, it's Matt. Look, I know you're with Hope and everything. But, this is important. Call me as soon as you get this. Bye."

Matt hung his cell, tossing it onto his bed. He had this feeling that Hope had feelings for Jeff too. He'd gotten to know her a lot and she was like his sister. That was why he was determined to set her up with Jeff. They needed each other more than they knew it. Matt hated that Jeff was afraid to commit now. All because of Michaela and the Edgeheads. That was such a low blow. It wasn't the first time Edge had ruined a Hardy's relationship. Oh, great. Now Matt couldn't help but think about how his relationship with Lita ended. He really just wanted to rip Edge to pieces.

When Hope got back to her hotel room, her childhood friend John Cena was sitting on her bed. However, she hadn't noticed him at first. She shut the door behind her, dropping her purse onto the dresser. John tried his best to stifle his laughter at his oblivious friend. He was simply laying there, sprawled out on her bed and she'd yet to notice him. John thought back to growing up with Hope in Massachusetts. She hadn't changed much. Still the same slightly oblivious sweetheart. John couldn't hold it in anymore. He had to make his presence known.

"Hope Richman," John's voice echoed in the room. "You grew up, you filled out."

Hope spun around, hearing the deep male voice. She squealed when she saw John. He laughed at the girlish noise as she ran and jumped into his arms.

"John!" she grinned. "I missed you!"

"I can see that," John laughed. "Damn, you look good."

She playfully hit him in the shoulder. "It took you this long to come see me?"

"Ah, touché," he sighed. "I've been busy. Beating the crap out of Randy Orton."

"Oh, please. That's not that hard to do."

"I hear you've been kicking ass too. Melina's ass, in specific."

"Yep. My debut match. It was the greatest."

"I'll bet. See? I told you'd always be part of the WWE."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Don't 'yeah, yeah' me," John laughed. "Hey, are you okay?"

Hope frowned, "Not really. I'm kinda torn between…never mind."

"We grew up together, H. You can tell me anything."

"I don't know, John."

"Fine. But, I'm not leaving until you tell me what's bugging you."

"Ugh, fine. Pain in the ass, you win."

Hope explained to him about how Jeff had trained her and she kinda-sorta fell for him. She went on about how CM Punk flirted with her and how she slept with him. The whole time, John simply nodded his head. Hope was glad he'd come to see her. He was the only person that she could talk to that wouldn't judge her. She finished off by saying that she was torn between Jeff and Punk.

"What's your heart telling you?" John asked.

"I don't know," Hope answered. "It beat too fast and so loud when I'm with Punk."

"And with Jeff?"

"With Jeff I turn into mush. I melt."

"You? Melt? I never thought I'd see that day."

"You're telling me. I hate this feeling."

"So do something about it."

"I don't know what to do, John. I don't wanna hurt either of them."

John pulled her into a comforting hug. He whispered a soft 'don't worry' in her ear. Hope snuggled closer to John, letting him wrap his muscular arms around her. No matter what, he'd always made her feel safe. Whatever her problem was, he'd fix it. No questions asked. There was nothing John wouldn't do for Hope and she knew it. He was the one friend that never lost touch when Hope moved to New York with her father. That just showed how close they were. Closer than close actually.

"What would I do without you?" Hope asked.

"All right, Matt. I got your message."

Matt looked up to see Jeff in the doorway. He motioned for his brother to come him. Should he really tell Jeff that Punk had plans to destroy him? He deserved to know. Matt took one look at the smile on his brother's face. This would crush him. No doubt about that. But, there was something else in the youngest Hardy boy's smile. Something Matt believed to be vindictiveness. Was Jeff planning something too? Was Vince in on it? Whatever the case, it sure as hell wasn't going to end well. That was the only thing Matt knew for sure. Matt finally looked back at his brother.

"I need to talk to you about Punk and Hope," he said.

"There's no need," Jeff replied. "I have my own plan."

"I was afraid you were gonna say that."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Punk's just using Hope. If you plot against him, you'll be doing the same thing."

"No. Unlike Punk, I care about her."

"And how do you know Punk doesn't? Hmm?"

"Since when are you taking Punk's side, Matt?"

"Taking sides? That's not what this is about!"

"Really? So then enlighten me, big bro, please."

"This is about hurting an innocent girl," Matt said, serious. "A girl you love."

Jeff hesitated a moment. He knew Matt was right. If he kept this feud going, he'd only end up hurting Hope. Eventually she'd realize the whole story and she'd kill them both. That was no joke. Bad things happen to good people. The prime examples were Matt and Jeff. Two good guys who got screwed over by the same asshole. Jeff desperately tried to leave that in the past. He simply couldn't. It still hurt too much.

"_Jeff?"_

_The rainbow haired warrior looked up from his comic book, locking eyes with Michaela. Biting his tongue, he quickly went back to his comic book. Why was she here? Jeff had made it crystal clear that he didn't want to see her anymore. Every time he thought about Michaela, he pictured her with Hawkins and Ryder and their tongues down her throat. It sickened him to think about._

"_Jeff, can you answer me, please?" Michaela begged._

"_I told you not to come back here," Jeff almost spat the words._

"_Baby, please. Don't act like this, I'm sorry."_

"_You're sorry?! That means crap and you know it!"_

"_It was a mistake, baby. Everybody makes mistakes."_

"_No. A mistake is putting down the wrong answer on a Math test," Jeff snapped. "Cheating on your boyfriend with two guys that have the I.Q. of a kumquat isn't."_

_Before Michaela could make another reply, Edge walked in. He was his usual cocky self, especially since he had a match with Jeff next. The Rated-R Superstar draped his arm around Michaela as he watch Jeff's facial expressions. He enjoyed gloating more than anything. Edge could tell Jeff was hurt. It was just like when he slept with Lita and broke Matt's heart. This was just one of Edge's games._

"_Mickey, baby. What are you doing with…this riff-raff?" Edge asked._

"_Adam, don't," Michaela warned. "You'll regret it._

"_I've taken on the Hardys before. It's like taking on Hornswoggle."_

_That was it for Jeff. He let the anger build up for too long. He speared Edge and started punching the life out of him. Michaela kept screaming for him to sop. That was useless and she knew it. Edge and Jeff kept going at it until a ref came to break them up. That was the exact moment that Jeff swore off relationships._


	8. Chapter 8: Bitter Rivalry

Sunday. A few weeks had passed and the upcoming Sunday was _Backlash_. John was versing Randy for the WWE Championship, Matt was versing MVP for the U.S. Championship, Hope was versing Mickie James for the Women's Championship and Jeff was battling it out with Punk. All the matches were going to be feisty, that was for sure. But, Jeff and Punk in a ladder match? After everything that was going on, that wasn't really Vince's smartest move. Then again, when did Vince ever make a smart move?

Hope was backstage after her match. She'd just beaten the shit out of Jillian Hall. It'd started out with Jillian singing in the ring and Hope interrupting her, telling her she sucked. Hope decided to treat herself to a brownie when she saw Hornswoggle passing by. She smiled at him.

"Hi, Hornswoggle."

She couldn't understand how most of the superstars were mean to him. He was just so adorable. Hornswoggle waved shyly, smiling a bit. He eyed her brownie and licked his lips, clapping his hands. Hope held the brownie out to him.

"You want this?" she asked. "Here. You can have it."

Hornswoggle took the brownie from her and hugged her leg. He skipped off, holding the brownie in his hand. Hope laughed to herself. Yeah, that was one adorable leprechaun. She waved as she saw Cody Rhodes head over to her. He was another one of the superstars Hope had gotten close to. He was so sweet, just like his father.

"Hey Hope. Can I ask a favor?" Cody asked.

"Sure," Hope answered. "What is it?"

"Well, I'm in this mixed gender tag match against Santino and Melina…"

"You want me to be your partner?"

"Yeah. I mean, I know you just had a match and all."

"I'd love to. I've been dying to kick Melina's ass again."

Cody laughed, "All right. I'll see you later then."

Hope waved as he headed off. For the first time she noticed that Jeff was M.I.A. She hadn't seen him all night. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Matt either. Where were they? More importantly, what were they up to? Maybe Shannon Moore was visiting _Raw_ tonight. He'd mentioned something about making an appearance. Hope didn't know for sure. Punk was on _ECW_, so she had nothing to worry about. Good. This would be a drama-free night. Well, excluded the drama Melina's going to cause. But, with Melina, drama was inevitable. It didn't matter. Hope was prepared.

"Here are your winners…Cody Rhodes and Hope!"

The ref held up both Hope's and Cody's arms. The greatest thing about the match was that Hope won it. She won it by pinning Santino. In the middle of the match, Santino had grabbed a mic and started going on about something in Italian. Hope tagged herself in, speared him and then hooked his leg for the three count. It couldn't get better than that.

"You'll pay for this!" Santino yelled, his accent more noticeable than ever. "Mark my words, Hope. You'll regret this!"

Hope simply waved as Santino and Melina stormed backstage. Melina was ranting on about how it wasn't fair. Blah. Blah. Blah. One of these days Hope was going to rip out Melina's voice box. She highly doubted anyone would mind if she did. Most people found Melina annoying anyway. Hope, Maria, Ashley and Mickie especially. Michelle McCool had learned to tolerate her. How? That was still a mystery.

"You just love kicking ass, don't you?" John teased.

Hope smiled up at him as she unlaced her boots. She grabbed her black and red Ed Hardy sneakers and slipped them on.

"Yup. Especially Santino's and Melina's."

"You're twisted. You know that, don't you?"

"That's why you love me, babe."

"Yeah, yeah."

John gave Hope a quick kiss on the cheek before he headed off. Hope changed out of her ring attire and slid on a pair of shorts and her New York Rangers jersey. As she started to leave, she felt strong arms wrap around her torso from behind. She tried to fight them off but whoever it was, was a really strong guy.

"Hey!" Hope protested. "Let me go, asshole!"

The mystery guy slipped his hand over her mouth, his other arm still wrapped tightly around her slender frame. Hope tried kicking her way out of his grasp but that didn't work. Who the hell was this? The Undertaker? She kept elbowing the guy in the ribs, hoping he'd let her go.

"I ed et ee oo." Hope had tried to say 'let me go', but her voice was muffled.

Now the brunette was pissed off. She elbowed the mystery guy in the face. He let her go quickly. But, in one swift motion, he had her pinned up against the wall with his hand over her chocolate brown eyes.

"Shh," he whispered. "I won't hurt you."

That voice. It was so familiar. Before Hope could say anything, the guy shoved his lips against hers, sliding his tongue into her mouth. Hope felt a lip ring between her teeth as she kissed the mystery guy back. The mystery guy kept pressing his lips against Hope's, his hands wandering up and down her torso. Despite herself, Hope kept returning his advances. Who was he? Why did he have so much power over her? And why the hell was she enjoying it so much?

"I've been dying to do that for so long," Mystery Guy whispered.


	9. Chapter 9: Backlash

He let his lips trail down Hope's neck, his hand still shielding her eyes. He kissed her so softly, so gently. Why couldn't Hope figure out who he was? Did she know him? Was he a stranger? Whoever he was, he knew exactly _how _and _where _to kiss her. Just as Hope attempted to sneak a peek at him, the mystery guy shoved her to the ground and darted off. When Hope got to her feet, the guy had vanished. He'd just given her the greatest make-out session she'd had in a while only to dart off right after. Hope stared down the corridor in awe. Who was that? She had to have know him. His voice was too familiar. Hope was running on a high. That kiss felt so good. She couldn't help but smile.

Hope made her way back to the hotel, her head in the clouds. She didn't even notice Maria and Ashley walking next to her. Her brain was still trying to process that voice. Was it Jeff? Punk? Maybe even Shannon? Or some weird fan? She finally noticed the two Divas when they linked arms with her. Hope nearly jumped out of her skin. Ashley and Maria couldn't help but laugh. They high-fived each other when they saw the look on Hope's face. They saw she was trying not to laugh either.

"You guys nearly gave me a heart attack!" Hope exaggerated.

"Oh, relax," Maria hugged her. "It's not our fault you're oblivious."

"What's up with you?" Ashley asked. "You look kind of…out there."

"I just had the greatest make-out session with some guy," Hope replied.

"Some guy?" Maria echoed. "You don't know him?"

"His voice sounded familiar. But, he had my eyes covered."

"Wow. That's kinda kinky," Ashley teased.

Hope shoved her. "I really wanna know who this guy is."

"Did you notice anything about him?" Maria asked.

"He had a lip ring. And he was strong."

"Ooh, strong. That's hot," Ashley laughed.

"A good kisser?" Maria asked.

"That's besides the point, Ria," Hope replied.

Maria couldn't help but laugh. She knew Hope too well. She knew how her friend was struggling with her feelings. But, Hope never asked for help. She preferred doing things on her own. Maria never understood how she did it. She'd rather have friends helping her out than facing her problems alone. Maybe it was because Hope was more forward than she was. Or because Hope was afraid of getting hurt. Either way, Maria fully understood. It didn't matter much though. She could pretty much tell what Hope was thinking anyway. Ashley looked at the other two Divas before she jumped onto Hope's bed.

"We have an early flight tomorrow," she frowned.

"How early?" Hope asked.

"Noon."

"Oh, please. That's so not early."

"Eh, true. But, I wanted to sleep in."

"Ash, we're going to New York! It's gonna be great!"

"You're only saying that 'cause you're _from_ New York."

"And proud of it, baby."

After a few days, Hope still had no knowledge of the mystery guy's identity. However, she had other things on her mind. It was _Backlash_. More importantly it was her first ever title opportunity. It'd be an understatement to say that she was excited. Matt had already kicked MVP's ass for the U.S. Championship. John's match against Randy was going on now. Hope and both Hardys were watching from backstage. Hope knew how much John wanted his title back. Besides, Randy was getting on everyone's last nerve with the whole 'Age of Orton' crap. In the final moments of the match, Randy had hit the RKO. But, somehow John had quickly countered and put Randy in the STFU. The fans erupted into cheers and boos when Randy tapped out.

"Here is your winner and new WWE Champion…John Cena!"

Matt, Jeff and Hope all started cheering. Two titles had changed hands at _Backlash_. Would Hope get that lucky too? Maybe. Matt excused himself, motioning to his younger brother. He hoped Jeff would take the hint and make a move. If he didn't, Matt didn't know what else to do. Jeff stared at Hope for a moment, trying to find his courage. How was it that he could Swanton Bomb off a twenty foot ladder but he couldn't talk to a girl he liked? It made him feel like he was a kid again.

"Spacing out again?" Jeff asked, nudging Hope.

Hope smiled softly, "Just thinking about something."

"Anything you wanna tell me?"

"Just about how this strange guy kissed me last week. I still don't know who it was."

"Well, do you have any idea who it was?" Jeff tried to hide his grin.

"Yeah. I have someone in mind," Hope grinned.

Before Jeff could make a response, CM Punk came into the room. He shot a lethal glare at Jeff, unbeknownst to Hope. Naturally, Jeff glared right back. Hope pulled Punk into a deep, passionate kiss. It nearly broke Jeff's heart just to watch.

"What was that for?" Punk asked.

"Don't be coy," Hope replied. "That was for last week. You really took me by surprise."

"I did?" Punk raised an eyebrow, confused.

"I loved how you pretty much pummeled me in the hallway and kissed me. It was hot."

Jeff pretty much wanted to kick himself when she said that. This whole time she thought it was Punk. It never even crossed her mind that it was Jeff. Punk saw the look on Jeff's face and he felt guilty for about a split second. He smirked, looking down at Hope.

"I didn't you'd be surprised. You hit hard though," Punk said.

"I'm sorry. Didn't your mom tell you not to sneak up on girls?" Hope laughed.

"I guess I didn't really listen to that lesson."

"Hey, Hope. Isn't your match next?" Jeff interrupted.

"Shit! You're right. I gotta get ready."

She quickly kissed both Punk and Jeff on the cheek before she headed off. Punk could see the fire in Jeff's eyes, how he wanted to rip him to pieces. The two tattooed wrestlers stood glaring at each other. Both of them knew what the other could gain and lose. This was all about one thing. One person.

"That must suck," Punk stifled a laugh. "Having the girl you adore choose another guy."

"Just wait until she realizes you've been lying to her," Jeff replied. "She'll be pissed."

"Well, then I guess I'd have to tell her about how her best friend was using her too."

"I never used her! I'm not like you."

"I'll see you tonight, Hardy. Be ready."

"I'll be ready, Punk. Don't worry about that."

"Here is your winner and the new Women's Champion…Hope!"

Hope couldn't believe it. She'd actually won. It was such an amazing feeling. The greatest high there was. Hope turned to Mickie and helped her to her feet. The two Divas exchanged a hug and Mickie raised Hope's arm in victory. It still felt surreal, like it was just a dream. The fans kept cheering as Hope and Mickie headed backstage. Once they were backstage, Randy Orton came over to them.

"Your match was outstanding, Hope," Randy smiled his signature cocky grin.

"Thanks, Randy," Hope replied. "Your match was pretty good too."

"Pretty good? I think you're forgetting who you're talking to. I'm--"

"Randy Orton. The Legend Killer. Yeah, I know."

"You sound a bit feisty. That's how I like 'em."

"That's too bad. I prefer guys that _don't _have the I.Q. of a kumquat."

"If that's true, then what's the deal between you and Hardy?"

"No deal, Orton. We're friends."

"What do say you and I grab a drink later," Randy offered. "You can see why everyone says I'm a legend."

Hope laughed, "Not even if you paid me, love."

She linked arms with Mickie as they left Randy in a daze. It hadn't registered to him yet that Hope had not only turned him down, but insulted him as well. Randy should've been used to that by now. Especially from John. Mickie was amused by Hope's comments toward Randy. Especially the kumquat one. The two Divas met up with Matt and John in the back. Jeff and Punk were both getting ready for their match.

"John, you're amazing," Hope grinned.

"Yeah, I know," John replied. "You weren't so bad yourself."

"Thanks. It was just…wow."

"I think everyone's first title match is like that," Mickie laughed.

"I know mine was," Matt replied, nudging Hope.

"Did you see Jeff? He looked kind of upset before," Hope frowned.

"I'm sure he's fine," Matt replied. "He was probably just going at it with Punk."

Matt hated lying to his best friend. But, he couldn't exactly tell her the truth. First off, she never would've believed him. Secondly, he wanted Jeff to do it himself. He doubted that would happen though. Jeff was just afraid of hurting Hope. The whole thing with Michaela, Jeff believed it was all his fault. He believed that _he_ hurt Michaela. Not the other way around. Matt was still in awe about that. He also still couldn't believe that Hope was so oblivious to Jeff's feelings. Or maybe she wasn't oblivious. Who knew?

"I sure hope he is," Hope said.

"Trust me on this. He's my brother, I'd know if something was wrong," Matt lied.

Jeff stood in the center of the ring, awaiting CM Punk's music. There was such a fire in his eyes that even Lillian didn't want to go near him. Everyone knew how bad the Hardy/Punk feud was. Nobody knew how much it really mattered to the two men. Jeff knew they'd regret this in the long run. Right now, it seemed like the only thing to do. Punk's music blasted throughout the arena, bringing Jeff back to reality. Both tattooed men had their game faces on. The fans cheered and booed, not realizing how real this was going to be. Punk nixed his usual entrance. He dove into the ring and speared Jeff, punching his face in. Punk was hitting so hard and so fast that Jeff couldn't get a hit back. Until Punk made the mistake of taking a breather. Jeff punched Punk, dragging to his feet.

The two of them stood punching each other as the fans chanted 'boring'. But, neither man was paying any attention to the fans tonight. Jeff hit the Twist of Fate and hooked Punk's leg for the pin. Punk kicked out at the two count. This wasn't going to be easy. They both knew that. Punk nailed the GTS but Jeff managed to recover. The match went on the this for a while. Punk had had enough. He grabbed a steel chair and cracked Jeff across the back with it. Not once, but twice. The ref signaled the bell, disqualifying Punk.

Jeff collapsed onto the mat, holding his back in pain. Punk dropped down next to him. The two of them locked eyes, both glaring at each other. A look of pain in Jeff's eyes and a look of hate in Punk's.

"You lose, Hardy," Punk whispered.

"Here is your winner, by disqualification…Jeff Hardy!" Lillian announced.

The ref helped Jeff out of the ring and to the back. Hope and Matt were the first ones by his side. Jeff leaned on his brother for support as he tried to assure Hope that he was okay. It was no use. She could see the pain in his eyes. Anybody could. Hope held Jeff's face in her hands. He almost couldn't breathe when she touched him. It felt too good.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Hope asked.

"I wouldn't lie to you. I'm fine," Jeff answered. "I'm used to this."

"If you say so."

"Congrats on your win, Hope."

"Thanks. It still feels kind of surreal."

Jeff so badly wanted to just kiss her. Just shove her into a corner and have his way with her. Maybe he should just do it. Right now. This was it. Now or never. Jeff grabbed Hope, backing her against the wall. He shoved his lips against hers so hard that it made both their lips bleed. Hope wrapped her arms around Jeff's neck, returning his kiss just as hard. Matt stared on in shock as his brother and best friend simply shut out the rest of the world. Jeff let his hands roam around Hope's body, his lips never moving away from hers. He didn't want to come up for air but eventually he had to.

"It was you," Hope whispered. "You're the mystery guy."

"I thought you'd never figure it out," Jeff replied.

"I should've known it was you."

"I…I love you."

"I love you too."

Hope pulled Jeff into another kiss, pulling his body closer to hers. Jeff kept his arms around his arms around her waist, nuzzling at her neck. Hope let out a giggle that Jeff found incredibly adorable. All this time he'd worried about nothing. She felt the same way.

"Jeff!"

Hope's angelic voice brought Jeff back to reality. Reality? The whole thing with Hope just now, that'd been a fantasy. He tried to force a smile but Matt could already tell something was wrong. Jeff didn't know why he bothered hiding things . Matt always knew. Always.

"You were spacing out on me," Hope pouted.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" Jeff asked.

"I said you owe a game of Guitar Hero," she grinned. "You left early last week. Just when I was about to kick your ass."

"Maybe…maybe I let you win."

"Yeah. Right. Who are you trying to kid?"

"Ah. Touché, Hope."

"Well, I'm gonna go celebrate with John. See you Hardys later."

Matt and Jeff both waved as Hope left to catch up with John. Once he was sure Hope was out of earshot, Matt turned to Jeff. Jeff rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what his brother wanted to know. But, Jeff didn't want to talk. His mind was still on that little fantasy. Or better yet, last week. Hope's lips tasted so sweet. If only she'd known it was him. Would that have changed things? Maybe. Maybe not.

John took Hope down to the Coyote Ugly Saloon. He'd said it was horrible that she'd never been there since she was a New Yorker. Hope had simply laughed at him. She wrapped an arm around John's waist. He knew that meant she was thinking about something important. He also knew what it was and that she wanted his help. John hated the way Punk and Jeff were making Hope feel like this. Everyone always asked John how he never slept with Hope. He'd always laugh at that question. He simply never thought of Hope that way. Even if he did, mentioning it now would've been hell.

"All right you. Talk to me," John said, sitting at the bar.

"John, don't. I don't know what you want me to say," Hope replied.

One of the barmaids, Kellie, came over and asked what she could get them to drink. Kellie held John's gaze for a few minutes before taking their orders. Two screwdrivers. Once Kellie had gone off, John turned back to Hope. Hope sighed. She should've known she wasn't getting off that easily. Especially with John.

"C'mon. I know you wanna get this off your mind," John nudged her.


	10. Chapter 10: What Shouldn't Be

"Things keep getting weird around me and Jeff. I don't know why."

"Weird? What do you mean?"

"He's been really overprotective lately."

"That could mean anything, Hope."

"I really hate it when you're right."

"That's funny. I love when I'm right."

* * * * *

_Ten year old Hope ran from her Massachusetts home, crying her eyes out. Nineteen year old John Cena saw his friend crying and ran to her. She didn't want to talk to him at first. John knew that if he waited she'd open up. She always did._

"_Hope, what happened?" John asked._

"_I was playing baseball with the guys and I went up to bat," Hope started. "They kept chanting 'girls can't play baseball'."_

"_Did they say anything else?"_

"_No. One of the boys kept pushing me. He was around your age."_

_That was the last straw for John. He took Hope by the hand and headed to the field. Once they were there, Hope pointed out the kid that had been shoving her around. John made his way over to the kid and tapped him on the shoulder. When the kid turned around, John punched him in the face. With that, John took Hope's hand again and they started walking back home._

"_Thanks, John," Hope whispered._

"_You know I'd do anything for you," John replied, hugging her._

* * * * *

"You know I'd do anything for you," John said, sipping his drink.

Hope smiled, "Then tell me what guy to choose."

"You know that's the one thing I can't do."

"Yeah, yeah."

"You gotta do what your heart tells you too."

"What if it's telling me two different things?"

"Can you elaborate on that?"

Hope didn't reply at first. She took a long sip of her screwdriver, looking away from John. She didn't know how to phrase what she wanted to say. John forced her to look at him, his eyes staring deep into her. Hope wanted to look away but she didn't. More like couldn't. It was like they were communicating telepathically.

"My heart's telling me that I really like Punk," she started. "But, it's also telling me that Jeff's not telling me something."

"If you like Punk, then you shouldn't be worrying about anything."

"But, I might love Jeff."

John didn't know what to say to that. He had no advice and it killed him. He hated the sad look on Hope's face. John never liked seeing her like this. It'd only happened other time. When they were younger and Hope's parents announced their divorce. Hope had been devastated. For almost a month, not even John could cheer her up. Now it was different. The problem wasn't too easy to fix. Well, John would try to fix it. With drinks of course. If that didn't work, John would try anything and everything. He'd fix things for Hope just like he always promised he would.

* * * * *

After an hour, Hope and John were completely drunk. Hope took a sip of the beer she was holding. She and John were on the dance floor, both their bodies moving rhythmically to music. John's hands were around Hope's body, somewhat protectively. He couldn't help but be near her. She gave off this vibe that almost made you gravitate towards her. Without warning, Hope pulled off her shirt, revealing a blue laced bra. She stepped up onto the bar, looking down at John.

"John, do I look pretty?" she asked in a drunken slur.

"Yes. Beautiful," John slurred back.

"Are you lying to me?"

"You're the most beautiful girl in the bar."

He grabbed the drink from Hope's hand, downing it in one shot. Then he pulled the tiny brunette into a kiss. Hope kissed him back, not really aware of what was happening. John led Hope outside, calling for a cab as he kissed her again. They were both too drunk to realize what they were doing. John pushed Hope against the brick wall, his lips lingering along her neck as she let out a drunken giggle.

* * * * *

"She thinks it's Punk," Jeff admitted.

"What? Who?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"Hope. She thinks Punk's the mystery guy that kissed her."

"Did you tell her it was you?"

"No. I was too pissed off at Punk."

"Why didn't you tell her? You had your chance before."

"I don't think she feels that way about me."

Matt let out a groan. He and Jeff had gone back to the hotel, neither in the partying mood. After an hour of silence, Jeff finally decided to speak up. Except now Matt wished he'd just stop talking. Less talking, more action. Jeff tended to ramble when he was nervous. That was pretty much why he'd yet to say anything to Hope. He knew he'd start rambling. That would get him nowhere. It would probably make her want Punk more. Damn it. Why did her do that? Why did he keep belittling himself and making Punk look so great? Jeff blamed Michaela. After their rough break-up, his confidence was shot. Totally, completely, eternally shot. He felt…like nothing. Like _he_ was nothing. It was a shitty feeling that he hated more than anything. Jeff lowered his head, unable to take his brother's scrutinizing gaze anymore.

"Jeff, I told you," Matt started. "Just shove her into a corner and have your way."

"That's horrible. You're twisted," Jeff replied.

"Did you just realize this now?"

"I'm laughing on the inside. Really, Matt."

"Either you make a move on her, or I will."

"I swear, I'll kill you if you do."

Jeff glared daggers at his older brother. He was seriously ready to punch Matt in the face. Until Matt started laughing. That's when Jeff realized his brother was only joking. He mouthed the words 'I hate you' to his brother. Matt still laughed. Jeff's reaction was pretty damn funny to him. Except when Jeff's expression turned back into his 'sad little puppy dog' face. Did Jeff really think he'd do that?

"You know I wouldn't do that. I'm not Edge," Matt assured him.

"That's what I'm afraid of. Losing her to someone like him," Jeff frowned.

"Okay, we both know she wouldn't sleep with Adam if he was the last guy on Earth."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"You guess? Jeffrey Nero Hardy doesn't guess. He knows."

"And Matthew Moore Hardy is pain in the ass."

Jeff grinned to show his brother he was joking. He didn't say anything else after that. He decided to let his thoughts wander. Maybe he'd go back to his earlier fantasy. Or maybe he get enough courage to confess his feelings for Hope. The latter would have to wait until the next day. Let Hope party with John. Let CM Punk think he won. Nice guys finished last and they always got the girl. Good thing Jeff was a nice guy.

* * * * *

John picked Hope up bridal style and carried her up to his suite in the hotel. He put her down, shutting the door. Due to his drunken haze, he didn't lock the door. When he turned again, Hope was already on the bed, motioning for him to come over. He gladly--and drunkenly--obliged. John got on top of Hope, kissing her softly. She smiled that irresistible smile of hers as she dug her nails into his back. They both let out a fierce moan. John kept kissing her, sucking on her skin gently. Within a few minutes, he started getting rougher. Kissing and biting at Hope's olive skin. Somewhere deep down, John new this was wrong. But, he'd had so much to drink. This was all like a fog to him. It was happening but at the same time it wasn't.

Hope pulled John's shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor. She pulled him closer, slipping her tongue into his mouth. It felt so good and she wanted more. Hope rolled over, getting top of John. Her signature grin formed on her thin lips. She kissed him again and then let her lips linger down his chest.

"Mm, don't stop," John moaned.

"I don't plan on it," Hope grinned.

She let John take off her skirt as she continued to kiss his chest. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew this was wrong. So, why wasn't she stopping? The alcohol. It'd been too much. Hope was lucky she could stand on her own after all the drinks she had. The brunette let out a string of giggles when John started nuzzling her neck. She couldn't help being so ticklish. Her lips locked with John's again. John had resumed his position on top and was getting down to business.

* * * * *

_Beep, beep. Beep, beep._ Hope was jolted awake by the alarm clock. Alarm clock? She didn't have one in her room. Was she even in _her_ room? She looked next to her and saw John's naked body. Hope rubbed her temples, trying to piece together the events of the previous night. Then it all came flooding back to her. The bar, the drinks, the kiss. The sex. Hope buried her face in her hands.

"Oh, what have I done?" she asked, aloud.

"John? Are you awake? I need to talk to you."

Hope's eyes widened at the sound of the Southern accent of the youngest Hardy brother. _Shit! I'm fucked_, she thought. John was out cold and she was still hung over. This wasn't good. No, not at all. This would crush Jeff. Hope quickly got out of bed, pulling her skirt back on. Jeff's knocking grew louder and she heard his voice once more.

"You know what, John? I'm coming in. You better be dressed."

Hope bit her lip in a panic. What was she going to do? Jeff couldn't catch her here. She would _not_ let that happen. Of course they had to stay at the one hotel that didn't have fire escapes on the windows. Hope was running out of ideas. What could she do? Before she could think of something, Jeff started to push open the hotel room's door.


	11. Chapter 11: Truth, Bitter Truth

**Thanks to ExtremeXShinyXHeartagram for this idea. (**

* * *

Hope froze as she heard the door open. She quickly ran to the bathroom, hiding in the shower. Jeff made his way into the room. He saw that John was still sound asleep. Seizing the opportunity, Jeff grabbed the bucket of ice water and splashed John. John jolted awake, cursing like a sailor. He shot a death glare at Jeff as he sat up.

"What the hell was that for?" John asked.

"I need your advice," Jeff replied.

John sniffed the air. "Ugh, what's that smell?"

"Yeah, it's me," Jeff admitted. "Matt hogged the shower and locked me out of our room."

"Use my shower. Then we'll talk."

"You and Hope got trashed last night?"

"You have no idea. I don't know where she went though."

"She's probably with Punk."

"Dude, just go shower."

Jeff flipped him off before going into the bathroom. Hope peered at him between the shower curtains, biting her lip. This so wasn't good. What had she got herself into? Jeff turned on the shower, not noticing Hope. She did her best not to scream when the cold water hit her skin. For a minute, Jeff peered into the shower, almost as if he saw something. Hope quickly ducked behind the blue shower curtain. She watched in awe as Jeff took off his clothes and stepped into the shower. Jeff closed his eyes, letting the water grace his skin as he tilted his head. Hope did her best to stealthily get out of the shower.

Once she got out of the bathroom, she saw John talking to Punk. _Shit!_ Thankfully, Punk's back was to her. John silently told her to hide someplace. The only problem was that she didn't know _where_ to hide. Hope darted under the bed just as Punk turned around.

"Where is she, John?" Punk demanded.

"I told you. Hope's not here," John snapped.

'I know she was with you last night."

"Yeah, last night. She's probably with Maria."

"I just saw Maria. Alone."

"Maybe she got breakfast. I don't know where she is."

"Like hell you don't."

Punk shot a glare at John, shoving past him. John rolled his eyes, shutting the door. He wanted to give Hope her chance to leave, but he heard the shower turn off. Not long after, Jeff got out of the shower. After he was dressed again, he turned to John.

"I don't know what to do about Hope," he said.

"What do you mean?" John inquired.

Jeff sighed. He didn't know how he could explain his feelings. Hope made him feel so…amazing. _She_ was amazing. She was also hiding under the bed, unbeknownst to Jeff. The rainbow-haired warrior sat on the bed, rubbing his face with his hands. He had to choose his words carefully. John and Hope was close friends. Maybe he'd know if Hope had feelings for him. Then again, maybe he didn't. Jeff didn't care. It was worth a try.

"I was the mystery guy," Jeff confessed. "I kissed her that day."

"I had a feeling it was you," John replied.

"But, she's too wrapped up with Punk to see it."

"Jeff, just talk to Hope. She doesn't bite."

"Unless she's asked?"

"Your wit astounds me."

John knew Hope was listening to what they were saying. She was probably shocked at what she'd just heard. John also knew that Punk was only using Hope. How could he prove that? Punk sure as hell wasn't admitting it. Certainly not to John of all people. Jeff knew about the whole thing. He'd admit it. That was for sure. All he had to do was just let Jeff go off about Punk. It probably wouldn't take much.

"Maybe Punk really loves her," John said.

"Bullshit! He's just using her!" Jeff snapped.

"You don't know that."

"Yeah, I do. He said it to my face."

"He said 'I'm using Hope'?"

"No. He said he was using Hope to make me jealous, to torment me."

"I can see it's working."

"Of course. I'm in love with her."

Hope nearly gasped. Jeff was in love with her? All this time she thought Punk was this amazing guy and he turned out to be a liar. The brunette bit her lip to keep from crying. Why did this always happen to her? It was horrible. She should've known the mystery guy was Jeff. She remembered she a glimpse of blue, blonde and green hair. Hope did what she could to cry as quiet as she possibly could. Then it hit her. She was in love with him. Hope Richman was in love with Jeff Hardy. She just wanted to jump out from under the bed and fuck Jeff like an animal. But, Hope couldn't do that. Because then she'd have to explain why she was half-naked in John's hotel room. That wasn't really something she wanted to do. Not now, not ever.

When Jeff admitted his feelings for Hope, John felt inexplicably guilty. He'd had a feeling that Jeff liked her and what did he do? He slept with Hope. Yeah, he was drunk and all but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty. John knew one thing for sure. There was no way Jeff could ever know about his one night stand with Hope. He knew Hope was probably thinking the exact same thing. He frowned, hearing his friend's faint sniffling. He didn't want that. He didn't want Jeff's words to hurt her. John stole a glance under the bed. His eyes briefly locked with Hope's and he saw her tears.

He did it. He finally admitted that he was in love with Hope. Jeff frowned, wishing Hope could've heard him. He doubted he'd get the courage again to say it to her face. Even if he did, she might say that she loves Punk. Jeff couldn't face rejection again. Relationships weren't his thing anymore. He didn't want to give up hope, but what else could he do? He assumed that if Hope had feelings for him, she would've told him already. Did she tell him? No. in Jeff's mind, she didn't care for him that way. If only he knew how wrong he was.

"Tell her," John said. "Tell Hope you love her."

"I can't. It's too…I just can't," Jeff mumbled.

"Yes, you can. Don't be a pansy ass."

"It's not that easy. What if she rejects me?"

"She won't."

"You don't know that?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Look, if you see her, tell I wanna see her?"

"You got it, Jeff."

Once Jeff left the hotel room, John helped Hope out from under the bed. As soon as he saw her tears, he pulled her into a hug. Hope buried her face into John's chest and kept crying. The guilt, the hurt. It was too much. She kept asking herself why. Why her? John was asking himself that too. Why did this happen to such a sweet girl? And why did Punk think he could get away with it? John made a mental note to beat the shit out of him. How could you use a person and feel no remorse? It was a horrid thing to do.

CM Punk sat in Hope's hotel room, laying on the bed. He decided to wait for Hope and possibly take her to dinner. He hadn't been waiting long when Hope entered the room. Punk immediately became concerned when he saw Hope's tears. He rushed over to her, wiping her tears away with his thumb. She wouldn't look him in the eye and he couldn't figure out why. Punk lifted Hope's chin, forcing her to look at him. Hope slapped him hard across the face. Punk stumbled backwards, holding his jaw. He licked his bottom lip, tasting his own blood.

"What the hell was that for?" Punk asked.

"I'm not play thing! I'm not something you can just bet on!" Hope snapped.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You used me!"

"No. Hope, it wasn't like that. I--"

"Save it. I'm not listening to your crap."

"Hope, please. Just let me explain."

"Get out."

"No. We need to talk."

"Fine. I'll go."

Hope turned on her heels and stormed out of the room. Punk just stood there in a daze. Was this really happening? Did he really lose her? No. No, he couldn't have. He never should've used her. He knew it would end up bad. Things like that always did. But, Punk had really fallen for Hope. That's what he wanted to tell her. He had a feeling John told her the real reason behind the Hardy/Punk feud. Typical. Was Hope running to Jeff? That was a good question. Except Punk didn't have an answer. He wanted to win Hope back. That was his new focus. CM Punk always redeemed himself. Although, this wasn't going to be easy. He expected more slaps in his very near future. Slaps across the face among other things. This would be an experience to say the very least.

Hope wanted to crawl under a rock and die. She headed to Maria's and Ashley's suite. Maybe they'd be able to cheer up. The two Divas were exceptionally good at that. But, this time was different. Hope had hit an all-time low. She tried to dry her tears before knocking on the door. The problem was that her tears just wouldn't stop. They kept falling like a waterfall. Maria opened the door and immediately pulled her best friend into a hug. Hope pulled her arms around Maria's neck, sobbing even more. The two girls went inside, sitting on the bed.

"He was using me," Hope whispered.

"Who? CM Punk?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah."

"That jackass!" Maria snapped.

"You dated that jackass," Ashley pointed out.

"Jeff's in love with me," Hope blurted.

"WHAT?!" Maria and Ashley shouted in unison.

"And, I slept with John last night."

"WHAT?!"

"It's a long story, guys."

"Then start from the beginning," Maria ordered.

Hope nodded her head softly. She started off with how she and John went to the club and got drunk. She remembered kissing him once but everything else was fuzzy. She mentioned waking up--naked--in bed with John. Hope paused, letting her friends grasp what she was saying. Then she said how she hid in the shower when Jeff came in and how she hid under the bed too. She said that was when he confessed his feelings. He was asking John for advice.

"What are you gonna do?" Ashley asked.

"I don't know. I need advice," Hope answered.

"Go with Jeff. He never hurt you," Maria suggested.

"I just get really nervous around him like…"

"Like you're head over heels?"

"Yeah. Exactly like that."

Jeff didn't know what to do. Should he tell Hope he loved her? Should he still keep it from her? He had to make sure he truly loved Hope though. How could he do that? It was rather simple, actually. All he had to do was kiss another girl. If he liked the kiss, he didn't love Hope. If he thought of Hope during the kiss, he loved her. It sounded stupid but it was something that would make Jeff feel better about his feelings. He saw Michelle McCool heading his way and took that as his opportunity.

"Michelle!" he called. "Wait up a minute!"

Michelle stopped walking. "Need something?"

"Yeah. A favor. It's kinda weird though."

"Well, let's hear it, Jeff."

"I want you kiss me so--"

"So you can see if you really love Hope."

"How'd you know that?"

"Everybody knows that you're smitten with her."

"She doesn't know."

"Well, Hope's not the brightest crayon in the box."

"Are you ready?"

"I was born ready."


	12. Chapter 12: Loved & Lost

Hope had finally made up her mind. She was going to tell Jeff how she really felt about him. You couldn't get the smile off her face no matter what. She'd been hit with an overwhelming sense of confidence. This was it. After this she was finally going to be happy. Happy with Jeff. It made Hope all warm and fuzzy inside just to think about. She was headed towards the lobby, looking for Jeff. Kelly Kelly had said she saw Jeff going that way earlier. When Hope got to the lobby, she was horrified with what she saw.

Jeff wrapped his arms around Michelle's thin waist. He pressed his lips onto hers, feeling her mouth open against his. She slipped her tongue into his mouth and he instantly thought of Hope. When Michelle slid her arms around his waist, he thought of Hope. When she tugged at his lip ring with her teeth, he thought of Hope. When Michelle finally pulled away, Jeff uttered a single word. Hope. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into Michelle's eyes. Not Hope's. It was official. He was wildly in love with Hope.

That kiss.

Hope felt the hot tears stinging her cheeks again. She quickly ran off before Jeff noticed her. The brunette ended up running into Punk. She clung onto him, bawling her eyes out. Naturally, Punk pulled his arms around her, telling her that it was going to be okay. He felt oddly guilty. He wanted Hope to come back to him. Just not like this. Not because she'd just been hurt. Right now, Punk lost all respect for Jeff. What he did was lower than Punk's actions. Hope lifted her head, catching Punk in a kiss.

"I'm sorry," Hope whispered.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Punk replied. "I'm sorry."

"Why'd you use me?"

"In the beginning I wanted to torment Jeff. But, then I fell for you."

"Do you love me?"

"More than anything."

"Are you lying to me?"

"I wanna be with you more than anything else in this whole entire world."

"I love you too."

Hope kissed Punk again, letting her lips linger near his. She still harbored her love for Jeff. She probably always would. But, she couldn't believe in him anymore. Not after that kiss with Michelle. It hurt to even think about. Punk wrapped his arms around Hope's slender body, resting his head on her shoulder. He smiled even as Jeff came over. Jeff shot Punk a dirty glare, the fire in his eyes returning. His eyes then cut to Hope, bumping green fire into her face.

"Hope, I was just looking for you," Jeff said.

"Where? Down Michelle's throat?" Hope snapped.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb."

Hope gave Punk a quick kiss on the cheek before walking off. Jeff stood there, staring after her for a moment or so. Then he looked towards Punk for an explanation. Punk didn't give him a verbal answer. He just started laughing. Jeff couldn't be that oblivious, could he? No, no. It wasn't that possible. Even Hawkins and Ryder were smarter than that. Jeff grabbed Punk by the shirt and shoved him up against the wall. That's when Punk got pissed. He cracked Jeff right in the jaw.

"What the hell is your problem?" Jeff snapped.

"You just broke Hope's heart!" Punk shot back.

"Pot meet kettle."

"I didn't kiss another girl after admitting that I loved her."

"How does she know about that?"

"She was there when you were talking to John."

"No. I didn't see her there."

"Under the bed, Einstein."

"I just screwed up royally."

"How could you say you love her and then kiss another girl?"

"I kissed Michelle to see if I liked it. To see if I really love Hope."

"What was the verdict?"

"I just lost the girl I love. What do you think?"

"I think you're an ass."

"Well, you're no better, Punk."

"Guilty as charged."

Hope made her way to the hotel's bar and found an empty stool. The image of Jeff and Michelle kissing was still burned into her brain. Hope asked the bartender for a double martini. She noticed Triple H and Shawn Michaels sit on either side of her. The two of them were like her big bodyguard brothers. And partners in crime. Hope enjoyed helping DX out with their antics. Especially when it involved Vince, Coach or Regal. Coach was the best to pull a prank on. He was way too gullible. Triple H and Shawn simply stared at Hope, neither one saying anything. They could tell she was upset. Hope took a sip of her martini, making it clear that she wasn't speaking about her problems.

"What's wrong, Hope?" Triple H asked.

"Don't, Hunter. I don't wanna talk about it," Hope answered.

"Yes, you do. Otherwise you wouldn't be sitting in the bar," Shawn countered.

"Fine. I don't wanna talk about it _now_."

"Okay. Fair enough."

"Hey, we got a proposition for you," Triple H nudged her.

"I'm not in a prank-pulling mood."

"Shawn said to tell you that's a sin."

Hope finally cracked a smile. "What do you have in mind?"

"We have two trucks full of roosters," Shawn explained.

"Say no more. I'm in."

"We just don't have the key to Vince's hotel room."

"Yes, we do," Triple H corrected.

He pulled out a hotel key from his pocket. Hope laughed as he smiled while Shawn raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Triple H couldn't help but laugh at Shawn's confused face.

"Hunter, where'd you get that key?" Shawn asked.

"Stephanie," Triple H grinned.

"I like the way you think."

Jeff couldn't believe how badly he'd screwed up. He never meant to hurt Hope. He'd never meant for her to see the kiss. Then it hit him. She'd been in the shower with him. Jeff let out a fierce groan as he headed back to his hotel room. This wasn't good. The feeling he had in the pit of his stomach, it kept eating away at him. It was like a slow-acting poison. It killed him slowly. He'd done the one thing he swore he wouldn't. Jeff had sworn that he wouldn't hurt Hope. What did he just do? He hurt Hope. Now he was kicking himself for it. Matt was reading a book when Jeff walked in. He put his book down when he saw the look in his little brother's eyes.

"Jeff, what happened?" Matt asked, concern in his voice.

"I broke her heart," Jeff answered.

"Hope's? How'd you do that?"

"I kissed Michelle McCool."

"Why?"

"I wanted to see if my feelings for Hope were real."

"Did she know how you felt about her?"

"She heard me when I was asking John for advice."

"She'll come around. Don't worry."

"No, she won't. She's already back with Punk."

"Jeff, give her time. She's angry."

"No. You didn't see the look she gave me."

"I'm sure you're blowing this out of proportion."

"She hates me, Matt."

"That's impossible. She doesn't trust you."

"It's the same thing in my book."

Jeff left the conversation at that. He made his way over to the bed and collapsed onto it. After curling up into a ball, he closed his eyes and let the tears fall. Matt wanted to console his brother but he didn't know how. This was different from when their mom died, this was different than what happened with Michaela. Matt hated when he was helpless and saw his brother hurting. It killed him. Maybe he could talk to Hope. That seemed like a good idea. Then again, Matt didn't really want to leave his brother alone. He made up his mind to go see Hope in the morning. Right now, Jeff needed him. He tossed a tissue box at his younger brother, who responded with a weak 'thanks asshole'. Even something as small as that made Matt smile.

"Hope, can we talk?"

The brunette looked up to see John standing in the door. She smiled, motioning for him to come inside. She still didn't look him in the eye. It was obvious what he wanted to talk about. The one night stand. But, Hope didn't want to talk about that. She knew neither one of them wanted it to happen in the first place. Why couldn't they just leave it at that? Because this was John and he wasn't that kind of guy.

"Stop," Hope muttered. "I hate when you give me that look."

"Gets you attention, doesn't it?" John laughed.

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"You know the answer to that."

Hope sighed, "Fine. Let's talk."

"What happened between us shouldn't have happened."

"No shit."

"I didn't mean to take advantage of you. If you never wanna speak to me--"

"That'll never happen, John. I grew up with you, you're my brother."

"I thought that maybe you'd hate me."

"We were drunk. Shit happens."

"Shit happens."

"What would I do without you?"

"You'd be so lost."

Hope laughed. She knew it was true. John gave her advice on everything and helped her with every problem she's had. Without him, she probably wouldn't be in the WWE right now. Hope moved towards John, sitting in his lap. They were flying out to England the next for a Raw. Hope had been excited earlier. She and Jeff had planned on hitting the best restaurants together. That didn't seem like it was happening now. It made her feel incredibly crappy. The funny thing was that she hadn't done anything wrong.

"Something happen with Jeff?" John asked.

"I saw him kissing Michelle McCool," Hope answered.

"What? When?"

"I don't know. Maybe an hour or so ago."

"But, he said he was in love with you."

"Guess he didn't really mean it."

"No, he meant it. That's a fact."

"Well, I decided to give Punk another chance."

"Are you on drugs or something?"

"He makes me happy."

"I do like seeing you happy."

"Because then I'm not a bitch."

"You're always a bitch."

Hope shoved him. "Asshole."

"Just…be careful. I don't want you getting hurt."

"That makes two of us."

Guilt. Why the hell was CM Punk feeling guilty? He wasn't the one that Jeff to go and kiss Michelle McCool. But, the look of devastation on Hope's face had killed him. Why didn't she slap Jeff too? She hit hard as hell. His jaw still hurt. Punk was on his way back to his room, thinking about Jeff and Hope. Were they meant to be? It kind of seemed like they were. They just meshed so well. Or was Punk meant to be with Hope? More questions with no answers. Randy Orton saw Punk and headed over to him.

"Nice fat lip," Randy commented, smirking.

"Thanks," Punk replied. "I could give you one just like it if you don't shut up."

"Hey, man. Relax. I just come with information."

"Information? Orton, you've got to be kidding me."

"I don't kid. This is about Hope."

"Stay away from her."

"Can't promise that, Punk."

"Is that what you came to tell me."

"No. Hope slept with John."

"You're pathetic. John's her childhood best friend."

"I know this for a fact."

"So you saw them having sex?"

"No."

"Then you don't know it for a fact."

Punk rolled his eyes and started to walk away. Randy quickly held him back, glaring. Punk looked down at Randy's hand on his chest and shoved it away. Now, he turned to face Randy and folded his arms across his chest. He wasn't in the mood anymore. For some reason, Punk believed what Randy was saying. That's why he hadn't just knocked him out yet. Randy said some useful things once in a blue moon.

"Hawkins and Ryder," Randy said.

"The Edgeheads? What about them?" Punk asked.

"They were crawling in the vents by Hope's suite. They overheard her and John talking about a one night stand."

"I don't' believe that."

"I think they were drunk or something. Whatever."

"I'm giving you three seconds before I kick your ass."

Randy wasted no time in darting off. Punk took the elevator up to his room. This was crazy. Hope and John? Drunk sex? It didn't fit. Then it him. That's why John was all jumpy earlier. It all made sense now. It hurt, a lot more than it should have. He knew Hope felt guilty about it. Punk saw the guilt in her eyes when she looked at him. Now he understood what it meant. Was he going to break up with her? No. he had two very good reasons. One, it would shatter her completely. And two, he loved her. But, was he going to tell her that he knew about the affair? Or was he going to play dumb? Right now, that wasn't important. The only important thing was seeing Hope happy. That's all that mattered to him.

"I love Hope," Punk said, aloud.

Hope looked up at John as he wiped her tears away. She let out a small sigh and sat up straight. John raised an eyebrow, knowing that she had something to say. He was also pretty sure that he knew what she wanted to say. He motioned for her just to spit it already. She stuck her tongue out and threw a pillow at him. Then she got serious again.

"I love Jeff," Hope admitted. "He's everything."

Matt sat on the radiator across from Jeff's bed, watching his brother cry his eyes out. Maybe he wouldn't wait until tomorrow. Maybe he'd go find Hope now. Matt couldn't stand seeing his brother in this position any longer. It was making him heartbroken. Still curled up in a ball, Jeff lifted his head and looked Matt in the eye.

"I love Hope," he whispered. "More than anything in the world."

Michelle McCool sat with Maria and Ashley in their hotel suite. The three Divas were playing truth or dare. Maria's dare had been to seduce one of the bellhops into giving her his uniform. Which the bubbly Diva had found very easy. Michelle had picked truth and was asked if there was anyone she had feelings for. She bit her bottom lip, looking from Ashley to Maria and back to Ashley. Finally, she spoke.

"I love Jeff."


	13. Chapter 13: Some You Give Away

Maria and Ashley stared at her in total shock. Did Michelle just say that she loved Jeff? No, no. That couldn't be right. Maria wasn't going to allow Michelle to ruin Jeff's chances with Hope. Something told her that it was a little late for that. Michelle didn't say anything, knowing how the other two Divas would react. She didn't want to screw things up for Jeff but she couldn't help her feelings. Why did he have to kiss her? Why did she have to like it so much? After Jeff kissed her, he'd uttered a single word.

Hope.

Michelle cursed that thought. She knew how in love Jeff was. But, Hope seemed to be pretty happy with Punk on her arm. Michelle still planned on getting to know Jeff better. She just hoped he'd be open with her. If wasn't? Well, she'd figure something out. Michelle let out a sigh, knowing Ashley and Maria wanted an explanation.

"Jeff asked me to kiss him so he'd know if he really loved Hope," Michelle admitted. "I didn't expect to like it so much."

"That's horrible," Maria snapped. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Easy, Ria. Calm down," Ashley said.

"No. Because Hope probably saw and she's probably devastated."

"I saw her with Punk right after I kissed Jeff," Michelle said. "She didn't look devastated."

"You don't know her like I do," Maria replied.

* * * * *

"So why don't you go after her?" Matt asked.

Jeff sat up, resting on his elbows. If only it was that easy. Just go after Hope. Yeah, right. If he did, she'd probably kill him. Besides, she seemed happy with Punk. Happy. Jeff barely knew what happiness was anymore. He couldn't give up. He wouldn't give up. Jeff looked up at his brother and simply shrugged his broad shoulders.

"I get all…weird around her," Jeff said. "I never know what to say."

"How about 'I'm sorry'?" Matt teased.

"That's not enough. She'll still kill me."

"She'll kill you anyway. You fucked up."

"Your vote of confidence is amazing. Thanks."

"She's probably waiting for you to go after her."

"Somehow I sincerely doubt that."

Matt had a few ideas up his sleeve. Maybe a secret rendezvous? A moonlit dinner? Something Jeff would do for a girl like Hope. Would Hope go along with it? Matt was pretty sure she would. After venting about seeing Jeff and Michelle. Naturally, he'd listen to her. He'd probably agree too. Jeff's voice brought him back to reality.

"What are you plotting?" Jeff asked.

"I'm not plotting anything," Matt lied.

"Bullshit. I know that look."

* * * * *

Hope snuggled closer to John, resting her head on his shoulder. They were watching the Nightmare on Elm Street movies in order to get Hope's mind off of Jeff. John could tell it wasn't working too well. He still saw the devastated look in her eyes and it still killed him. John kept nudging Hope until she looked up at him. He kissed her on the forehead, moving his lips towards her ear.

"Go see him," he whispered.

"It's not that easy, John," Hope replied.

"It is if you make that easy."

"I hate when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Make me feel like I can do anything."

"Because you can."

"If I go see Jeff will you leave me alone?"

"I promise."

"You win, John."

Hope got off of the bed, pulling on a hoodie. She took a deep breath before stepping out of the hotel room. She wanted to see Jeff, really she did. She was just afraid of snapping at him. Well, he deserved that. Hope made her way to Jeff's and Matt's hotel room. She froze in front of the door. She wanted to knock but her body wasn't moving. When she was just about to leave, Matt opened the door. He gave her a look that said 'I knew you were coming'. He opened the door wider, motioning for Hope to go in. The brunette reluctantly went inside.

"Jeff?" she managed.

Jeff looked up hearing his name. He didn't expect to see Hope standing in front of him. Not after what happened earlier. He didn't say anything, just stared. His green eyes dipping over her body. He'd give anything just to have one night with her. Maybe now was his chance. Was this what Matt was planning? Probably.

* * * * *

"_Mickey, can I ask you something?" Jeff asked._

_Michaela nodded. "Ask me anything, baby."_

_"Why'd you choose a guy like me?"_

_"Well, why not?"_

_"I'm serious. I need to know."_

_Michaela smiled as she caught Jeff's lips in a kiss. They'd been dating for three months and this wasn't the first time Jeff had asked that question. Michaela couldn't understand why he kept doubting himself. Maybe it had to do with his break up with Beth._

_"Jeff, I love you. I love being with you," Michaela said._

_"You could do better than some Southern guy," Jeff replied._

_"But, I wanted some Southern guy."_

_"God, you amaze me."_

* * * * *

Jeff took a deep breath, banishing that memory from his mind. He looked at Hope and she smiled down at him. Oh, how he loved her exquisite smile! It made him feel so alive. Jeff grabbed Hope by the shoulders and kissed her forcefully. He guided her body towards the bed, their lips still entwined. This was it. This was no dream. It was actually happening. Hope kissed Jeff back just as forcefully. This wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind. She'd planned on have a simple conversation with him. This was a lot better. Jeff held Hope's face in his hands as his lips lingered near hers. All of a sudden, she just pulled away.

"I can't, Jeff. I just…I can't," Hope stammered.

"Can't what?" Jeff asked.

"This. I can't kiss you, I can't be here with you…"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't trust you."

"I love you, Hope."

"I can't trust you."

"I know you love me too."

"How can I love someone I can't trust?"

With tears in her eyes, Hope ran off. Jeff tried to stop her but she was too fast for him. Twice. He'd lost her twice in less than twenty four hours. Jeff let out an angry scream, knocking everything off the oak desk in his hotel room. He banged his fists on the wall, breathing deep to calm himself down. How did he get into this mess? He heard the door open and his eyes lit up. Until he saw that it was only Michelle.

"Hey Jeff," Michelle said.

Jeff looked up at her as he remained silent. He'd let it be. Hope obviously wanted Punk. Fine. Let them be happy. Jeff grabbed Michelle by the waist and pulled her into a kiss. But, it wasn't Michelle that he was kissing. It was Hope's flawless face Jeff saw in his mind. He pushed Michelle onto the bed, getting on top of her while pulling of her shirt. Michelle wasted no time in taking Jeff's shirt off. This was easier than she thought.

* * * * *

Hope sat in the lobby, wiping the tears from her eyes. Why did she do that? Why did she push Jeff away? She wanted him and she'd pushed him away. But, she loved Punk. That was the problem. Hope loved both Punk and Jeff. She didn't know what she was going to do about it. She had no ideas. Honestly? She was thinking of giving up. She saw somebody move in front of her. She looked up to see Shannon Moore looking down at her. Hope smiled when she saw him.

"You're crying," Shannon said.

"No shit, Einstein," Hope replied.

"What happened, Hope?"

"Jeff. Jeff happened, okay?"

"Did he hurt you?"

"No. It's a long story."

"I know it is."

"What do you mean?"

"Matt told me the whole story."

"Bastard can't keep his mouth shut."

Shannon laughed, taking hold of Hope's hand. He led the slim brunette back to his hotel room. Hope knew he wanted her to talk to him. She noticed Matt was there too. She could tell that he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Hope sure she was involved in these tricks. She laughed to herself, sitting on Shannon's bed. Matt and Shannon both stared at her. Apparently they wanted her to start the conversation. Fine by her.

"I don't know what you guys want me to say," Hope shrugged. "You both know everything."

"Why'd you take Punk back after what he did?" Shannon asked.

"I was hurt when I saw Michelle and Jeff. Punk was just there."

"Punk hurt you too."

"But, he didn't confess his feelings for me and then stick his tongue down another girl's throat."

"That's true. But, Jeff's in love with you," Matt said.

"Really? Doesn't seem like it," Hope muttered.

"He never stops talking about you."

"Then why did he stick his tongue down Michelle McCool's throat?"

"Because he's an idiot," Shannon and Matt replied in unison.

* * * * *

Manchester, England. It was such a beautiful place and Hope was in awe being there. Right now, she had to get ready for an inter-gender match. Santino Marella and Jillian Hall versus her and Randy Orton. Why she'd gotten stuck with Orton was beyond her. Hope was lacing up her boots when Michelle McCool came over.

"Hope, can I talk to you?" Michelle asked.

Hope ignored her. Shannon had told her that Jeff slept with Michelle right after she left. Hearing that was like a knife to the chest. And now Michelle had the audacity to come talk to her? No, no. That didn't happen in Hope's book. The brunette stood up, draping the Women's Championship belt over her shoulder. She was about to leave when Michelle grabbed her arm.

"We need to talk," Michelle said.

"You need to let go of me," Hope replied.

"I'm sorry that you had to see the kiss."

"No, you're not. Maria told me what you said."

"Maybe she's lying to you."

"She's my best friend."

"Best friends tell the best lies."

"Just stay away from me, Michelle."

"You're jealous that I'm with Jeff."

"Actually, I'm really happy with Punk."

Hope shot a lethal glare at Michelle before pushing past her. Who the hell did Michelle think she was calling her out like that? Great. Now Hope was in a bad mood. Well, that wasn't too bad. She wrestled better when she was pissed off. Oh, what Hope wouldn't give to wrestle Michelle and kick her ass. She was right. Hope was jealous. But, the brunette didn't plan on admitting to anyone. Except John and maybe Matt or Shannon.

* * * * *

Jeff watched Hope's match from the back. He couldn't believe how Randy dominated the match, not tagging Hope in once. But, Hope got her revenge. When Santino and Jillian started to beat Randy up after the match, he begged for her help. Hope simply smiled, blowing him a kiss and leaving him in the ring. Jeff felt someone wrap their arms around his torso. He wished is was Hope but he knew it was Michelle.

"Hey you," Michelle smiled.

"Hey," Jeff replied, flatly.

"What's wrong, Jeff?"

"Nothing."

"You sound upset."

"I'm fine, Michelle."

"Do wanna go to dinner tonight?"

"That'd be nice."

Michelle took note that Jeff's voice had about zero enthusiasm. He didn't have to tell her why he was upset. She already knew. Michelle looked up to see Hope and Punk headed their way. She also saw that Jeff's face had pretty much lit up. A coy smile spread across Michelle's lips. She motioned for Punk and Hope to come over.

"You guys should come to dinner with us," Michelle said, eagerly.

"Uh, I don't know. We were--" Hope started.

"That's a great idea," Punk interjected.

"Great," Michelle grinned. "We'll meet you at the hotel in an hour."

"Sounds perfect."

Punk laced his fingers with Hope's, leading her to his car. Jeff stared after them, unable to get his thoughts together. He wasn't sure if he could do this. Hope already hated him. Dinner was going to be awkward. Something told him that Michelle already knew that. Jeff knew she was planning something. She just didn't know what.

Hope couldn't believe that Punk had agreed to dinner with Jeff and Michelle. She couldn't deal with it. How could she face Jeff? She was supposed to hate him. Hate Jeff Hardy? That wasn't even possible. Especially for Hope. She was about ready to freak out. The only thing she wanted to do was tell Jeff how much she loved him. Punk wouldn't be too happy about that though. She didn't care. She didn't want to hide her feelings anymore.

She didn't have a choice. Jeff was with Michelle. That's how it was for now. Hope hadn't been lying when she said she was happy with Punk. She truly was. The brunette just happened to know that she'd be happier with Jeff. Punk knew it too. He'd actually promised to stop the feud with Jeff. That was great and all but it didn't change how she felt. When Jeff had kissed her before they left for England, it seemed so perfect. Perfectly wrong was more like it. Hope didn't know how she'd handle dinner. But, she'd get through it.

Punk knew he really shouldn't have agreed to the dinner. He knew Hope would be upset about it. But, he couldn't undo it even if he wanted to. Part of him just wanted to make Jeff jealous. What Punk didn't understand was Jeff's relationship with Michelle. If he loved Hope then why was he with Michelle? If their roles were reversed, Punk would be fighting for Hope. That's just the kind of guy he was. Was Jeff that kind of guy? Punk wasn't sure about that. Wait, what was he saying? He didn't want Jeff fighting for Hope. That was just crazy.

* * * * *

Jeff sat directly across from Hope at the diner, staring into her chocolate brown eyes. Was it so horrible that he was so in love? He felt Michelle snuggle closer to him and tried to smile. Hope hadn't even looked at him yet. She was resting her head on Punk's shoulder, looking a bit miffed. Jeff kept trying to tear his eyes away but he was drawn to her. He stared into his glass of soda, knowing what to say.

"Jeff, I'm sorry about this whole feud crap," Punk said.

"It's over and done with," Jeff replied.

Punk nodded his head. He'd actually meant that apology. He really did feel bad about the whole feud. He'd hurt too many people. Okay, just three. But it still made him feel bad. Punk was surprised that even after all that he did, he got the girl. Did he deserve her? She seemed to think so. But, did he? Probably not. The shitty part was that he knew it. Punk draped an arm around Hope, wondering why her mood had changed. When he'd picked her up, she'd been as happy as a clam. What had changed?

After an hour, Hope couldn't stand the silence anymore. The silence between her and Jeff. It was making her go insane. She muttered an 'I have to go' before leaving the table abruptly. Jeff didn't hesitate for a minute. He quickly followed after Hope. He found her just outside of the diner. Hope took a long deep breath, wiping her eyes. She looked up at Jeff, locking eyes with him for only a brief moment. Jeff pulled her into his arms and kissed her softly. Hope wanted to kiss him back but she pulled away.


	14. Chapter 14: The Heart Brings You Back

"I told you, Jeff. We can't do this," Hope whispered.

"You said _you _can't do this," Jeff corrected.

"Well, now I'm saying _we_."

"Why are you hiding the fact that you love me?"

"We're just friends. Accept it."

"I can't be _just_ friends with you."

"Can't? Or won't?"

"Don't twist my words around."

Hope looked down at her black and red Ed Hardy sneakers. Jeff was right. She _was_ hiding from the fact that she loved him. But, what else could she do? She couldn't just leave Punk. She wasn't that kind of person. Hope turned away from Jeff, folding her arms across her chest. She leaned her head back on the brick wall of the diner. This all started with her training. The first time she saw Jeff. She knew it was the same with him. Hope still couldn't hate him. She'd tried to hate him and always failed. You couldn't really hate someone you loved. But, how could you love someone you didn't trust?

Jeff didn't take his eyes off Hope. He didn't care that Michelle was probably pissed off at him. He'd come out here partly to make sure that Hope was okay. Now, he just wanted her in his arms. That didn't come as a surprise though. Jeff slid his arms around Hope's slender body. Much to his surprise, she hugged him back. He'd half expected her to shove him away again. He wanted to say in this moment forever. They were both happy and nothing else mattered. The two of them had shut out the world.

"You're a like drug to me," Jeff sighed.

"Don't say that," Hope whispered.

"Why not?"

"It makes me fall even harder."

"That's not a bad thing."

"It is if you're with someone else."

Jeff sighed, knowing she was right. As much as he wanted Hope, he didn't wanted to hurt Michelle. If he could take back the kiss, he'd do it in a heart beat. That wasn't happening anytime soon. No one he knew had time machine. For now he'd just stay here in Hope's arms, pretending that she his and only his.

John desperately wanted to help Hope out. But, he couldn't. he could cheer her up all he wanted to but it wouldn't help much. He couldn't choose a guy for her. Well, he could. But, she'd never listen to him. That was part of the problem. Hope was incredibly stubborn. John was on his way to Matt's hotel room. Hopefully the two of them would be able to figure something out. Matt looked like he'd been sleeping when he let John in.

"I need to talk to you about your brother," John said.

"Why? What'd he do to Hope?" Matt asked.

"Nothing. Other than breaking her heart."

"You want to set them up?"

"Yeah. He makes her happy and I want her happy."

"Like when she slept with you?"

"How do you about that?"

"Loose lips sink ships."

"Thank you, Pete Wentz."

"You're a real comedian, John."

"I'm serious. Jeff and Hope are meant to be."

"Too bad they don't see it that way."

Punk and Michelle had already left. Michelle had gotten pissed at Jeff and stormed off. Punk, on the other, didn't mind Jeff being with Hope. He'd ventured off to meet up with Matt Striker about their upcoming ECW match. He'd asked Jeff to take care of Hope and make sure that she got back to the hotel safely. Punk wasn't sure if trusted the two alone together but decided to chance it. Honestly? The less he knew, the better.

Michelle didn't even say goodbye to Jeff. She knew he probably didn't even notice. _Too wrapped up in that bitch's arms_, she thought. She scowled as she started walking back to the hotel. Michelle knew Jeff loved Hope, so why was she fighting for him? Was she in love with him? Or was she in lust? The latter the more obvious reason. Lust had overpowered her when it came to Jeff. So what she was hurting an innocent person. That didn't mean anything to Michelle. At least not at the moment. Michelle knew she was bound to be hit with a wave of guilt pretty soon.

Hope didn't make a sound as she and Jeff walked back to their hotel. She was afraid to say anything. She didn't want to make things worse. Could things get worse? Yes. Jeff could hate her. She jumped when she felt Jeff lace his fingers with hers. Hope couldn't bring herself to pull away from him. Why was he doing this? Did he know that he was making her blissfully insane? But, she loved every minute of it.

The silence was killing him. Her silence. Jeff had tried about fifty conversation starters and Hope didn't uttered a single word. Not even when he grabbed her hand. She was making him crazy. Did she know it? Did she enjoy making him crazy? Jeff pulled Hope closer to him, feeling the warmth of her body against his. He wasn't lying when he'd said she was a drug to him. She was. Jeff found himself needing her, wanting her, desiring her. This feeling was too crazy to put into words. Only actions could describe it.

Another kiss.

This time Hope had been the one to initiate the kiss. Jeff scooped her up into his arms, carrying her to his hotel room. She kissed him again, sending such a rush through his body. Hope pushed him onto the bed as she took his shirt off, smiling that smile of hers. That's what did for Jeff. Her smile. And her eyes. He was hooked. His lips found hers once more as his hands wandered her body. They both were conscious of the fact that what they were doing was wrong but they didn't stop making out. This was better than any drug. This was a pure adrenaline rush. Jeff couldn't tear his lips away from Hope's delicate olive skin as he pulled off the halter she'd been wearing.

"Jeff, stop," Hope mumbled.

"Please don't say you can't do this," Jeff whispered.

Hope rested her head on Jeff's chest, listening to his heartbeat. She felt him put his arms around her, neither one of them moving to put their shirts back on. Hope closed her eyes, letting some tears fall from her eyes. A tiny part of her wished she'd never trained to be a Diva. None of this would've happened. But, you know what they say. _It's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all._ Hope was having trouble believing in that lately. However, she wasn't giving up hope.

Jeff knew that this shouldn't have been happening. He knew this probably made things harder for Hope. But, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't get rid of this feeling. Jeff was with Michelle and he wanted to be faithful. He didn't want to pull a Lita and cheat on her. He'd never forgive himself if he did that. So why was it so hard for him to push Hope away? Because this wasn't just lust. This love was so great that the words 'I love you' weren't enough to satiate his feelings. He saw that Hope had already fallen asleep.

"You're a drug to me," Jeff whispered in her ear.

Matt had finished plotting with John about an hour ago. He'd hit the hotel's gym before going back to his and Jeff's room. Would Jeff be back yet? Matt wasn't sure. He was going to make Jeff and Hope know they were meant to be even if it killed him. Well, that was just a little extreme. He doubted this whole thing would kill him. He really had to stop exaggerating. Matt slid the key into the slot, opening the door to his room. He flipped on the lights and he was shocked at he saw. Jeff and Hope asleep together, bodies entwined. Matt heard footsteps behind him and turned around.

CM Punk took it all in. His girlfriend with one her alleged best friends in bed together. He felt hot tears sting his eyes. He wasn't going to wake them up and start yelling. How could he be that stupid? He should've known Jeff was going to try something. Or did Hope try something? That starling revelation made Punk go weak in the knees. He stormed out of the room, the anger building up inside of him. How could she do this to him?

Maybe it wasn't what it looked like. Maybe they'd simply fallen asleep together. Yeah, and maybe O.J. Simpson wasn't guilty. Punk decided to let Hope explain herself. Not that it really mattered anyway. He still planned on beating the shit out of Jeff the next time their paths crossed. For now, Punk was going to forget what he saw. Or at least try to. It hurt because he didn't know what had gone on. He was probably blowing things out of proportion.

Once he was back in his hotel room, Punk collapsed onto the bed. He closed his eyes, letting his thoughts wander. How could one girl make him feel this way? Hope was just a girl. That was the problem. She wasn't _just_ girl. At least not to him. Or Jeff. That pretty much sucked for both of them. In actuality, Punk had no idea what he was going to do. He wasn't sure if fighting with Jeff was the rational solution. That didn't stop him. He was running on pure anger and betrayal. The one thing Punk knew was that he wasn't taking his anger out on Hope.

Matt still couldn't believe what he was staring at. He had to admit that Jeff and Hope looked good together. Punk didn't look too happy and Matt couldn't blame. He probably would've felt the same way. Matt grabbed a blanket and draped it over Jeff's and Hope's sleeping bodies. He knew they'd be in for a rude awakening the next morning. They just seemed so happy together. Matt knew Punk was up to something wicked. This whole feud wasn't going to end well. Not at all.

Would Jeff be able to handle another broken heart? Matt wasn't so sure. Jeff still hadn't fully recovered from his break up with Michaela. If only Punk was out of picture. Matt knew Hope was the one girl that could bring Jeff out of his little depression. For Pete's sake, Jeff still had some of Michaela's things. But, there was no easy way to get Punk out of the picture. Matt would just have to think long and hard.

Jeff was the first to wake up the next morning. He smiled down at Hope who was still fast asleep. Matt cleared his throat letting the younger Hardy know that he wasn't alone. Jeff nudged Hope, trying to wake her up. Once she was awake, she quickly pulled her shirt back on. Jeff did the same. They both looked at Matt, knowing he had something to say. Matt glanced from Jeff to Hope and back to Jeff. Did he really need to say anything? They should've known by the look on his face. It didn't matter. He was going to say something anyway. All three of them knew that.

Hope refused to meet eyes with either Hardy brother. If she looked at Jeff, she'd just want to rape him over and over again. If she looked at Matt, she'd just start babbling on about what happened the previous night. Either way it wasn't good. Hope could feel both Hardy brothers staring at her, Matt staring into her soul and Jeff picturing her without clothes. Typical Hardys. She knew them too well.

"Punk saw you two in bed," Matt said.

"Nothing happened," Jeff replied.

"That's not what he thinks."

"I have to go talk to him," Hope sighed.

Jeff grabbed her arm. "I don't want you to go."

"This can't happen. You know that."

Jeff watched Hope leave, unable to think of anything to say. He had a feeling he was going to get his ass kicked the next time he saw Punk. What had he gotten himself into? Why couldn't he just focus on his wrestling like he'd wanted to? Jeff noticed the look on Matt's face and knew that he wasn't getting out of this that easily.

Matt knew something happened between Jeff and Hope. It was all too obvious. She was glowing and he was all smiles. Would Jeff admit anything? Maybe. But, Matt was sure that his little brother knew he wasn't getting out of this that easily. He never did. The Hardy brothers locked eyes, waiting for the other to speak.

"Nothing happened?" Matt asked.

"We kissed. Then she freaked," Jeff answered.

"She's making you crazy."

"No shit."

"What are you gonna do about it?"

"Nothing. She's with Punk."

"And yet you still tried to sleep with her."

"I couldn't help it."

"That's no excuse."

"I love her."

"You know Punk's ready to kill you."

"I'll figure something out."

Matt shook his head. He knew Jeff would figure something, he always did. But, this seemed different. This seemed like it wasn't going to end anytime soon. That was the unfortunate part. Matt just didn't want see his brother or Hope get hurt. Well, it was just a little late for that. They had been hurt. Pretty badly too. Matt saw the look in Jeff's eyes when Hope told him that what they were doing couldn't. He'd been crushed. Even Matt felt crushed too. He could tell how much Hope wanted to stay with Jeff. He knew that if the kiss between Jeff and Michelle never happened, Hope would've been with Jeff. From the look on Jeff's face, he knew it too.

Jeff knew he screwed up with the kiss. He knew that if it never happened, he'd have Hope in his arms. That little fact was tearing him apart inside. Jeff tried telling himself that Michelle was an amazing girl and he was lucky to have her. It didn't change anything. He still he felt crappy. This crappy feeling wasn't going away anytime soon. That was the only thing Jeff knew for a fact.

"Punk?"

Hope stood in the doorway of Punk's hotel room. Punk was sitting on his bed, his back towards Hope. He knew she was there but he didn't want to acknowledge her presence just yet. He was kind of hoping she'd just go away. Punk didn't want to deal with this now. It still hurt like hell. Like someone pouring lemon juice on an open cut. Punk felt Hope wrap her arms around him, her lips gracing his neck. He couldn't hate her even if he tried. He was just pretty pissed off.

"I saw you," Punk said.

"It wasn't what it looked like," Hope replied.

"You slept with him."

"I wouldn't hurt you like that."

"I saw you."

"Nothing happened. We fell asleep."

"Then why were you both shirtless?"

"We were--"

"Forget it. I don't want to know."

Punk pushed Hope away, moving towards the window. He didn't know what to say or what to do. What could he do? Other than kick Jeff's ass, probably nothing. He was playing with people's hearts here. That was something could hurt them all. Surprisingly, that was the last thing he wanted to do. Punk wasn't stupid. He knew something happened between Jeff and Hope. The look in her eyes said it all. Punk saw the mixed feelings in her eyes. Like she was happy about whatever happened her and Jeff but she was guilty because she'd hurt Punk. That's what Punk hated. How he'd been the one to hurt Hope and she felt guilty for even talking to Jeff.

Hope watched Punk stand by the window, his back still to her. She didn't say another word to him, knowing he didn't want to hear it. She just wanted to be back in Jeff's arms and fall asleep with him again. How could something so wrong feel so right? It was…amazing, to say the least. Hope got up and moved towards Punk. She whispered an 'I'm sorry' in his ear before kissing him and heading back to her hotel room.

Punk turned to watch her go. Was he wrong in ignoring her presence? No. he just couldn't look into her eyes. She could convince you to rob a bank with just one look. Punk wasn't used to girls like Hope. Girls that knew what they wanted and did whatever they wanted. He was used to those small-town, shy girls. The ones who got all shy in his presence. Hope was a whole new experience for him.

Jeff wasn't sure if he should apologize or not. Hope had obviously wanted him too. But, it was still wrong and he shouldn't have taken advantage of her. Or did she take advantage of him? It didn't matter. Jeff was hoping this apology would make him feel better. Somehow he doubted that. Which is why he stood pacing outside of Hope's hotel room. His eyes lit up when he heard footsteps. However, he saw Punk's face when he looked up. This wasn't going to be good.

"What are you doing here?" Punk demanded.

"I was just looking for Hope," Jeff replied.

"Stay away from her. She's mine."

"You don't own her."

"And neither do you."

"I never said I did."

"I don't even want you talking to her."

"Good luck getting her to agree with that."

Something inside Punk snapped. He speared Jeff and started punching him in face. Jeff tried to get a hit in but Punk wouldn't let him. Punk was out of control and part of him knew it. He just couldn't stop punching and kicking. All the anger that'd built up inside just exploded. Jeff managed to knee Punk in the face and get to his feet again. That's when Punk started to choke him. Jeff kept gasping for air, trying to pull Punk's hands away from his throat. Matt heard the commotion and quickly grabbed Punk off of Jeff.

Punk shoved Matt away and stormed off. That had been kind of the opposite of how he'd wanted to handle things. Why did this whole thing seem to keep getting more and more complicated? Or maybe it was just Punk. Was this whole thing worth it? Possibly. Things couldn't possibly get worse, could they? Hopefully not. Things were already crazy enough. Punk didn't need for things to get any crazier? Should he apologize to Jeff? No. Jeff never should've been with Hope. That's how Punk saw it.

Hope was overly anxious about her match. Not because it was for her title but because it was against Michelle McCool. And Hope had been _dying_ to kick the crap out of Michelle. Raw was in Cameron, North Carolina this week, Matt and Jeff's hometown. Jeff. Hope couldn't get him out of her mind. But, he'd been avoiding her for the past week. Why? Damned if she knew. Hope sat in the women's locker room getting ready for her match. She heard the door swing open and rolled her eyes when she saw Michelle.

"Ready to lose?" Michelle taunted.

"Don't you think you should direct that question to yourself?" Hope replied.

"Bite me, bitch."

"You know I'm right."

"Maybe so. But, I still have Jeff."

"So? What's your point?"

"I know how much you want him."

"You know nothing."

"We'll see."

Michelle shot a glare at Hope before heading off. She might've been a bitch but that didn't stop her from being right. Not that Hope would ever admit that out loud. The brunette heard the door open again was shocked to see Punk coming towards her. He kissed her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You shouldn't be in the women's locker room," Hope said.

"I wanted to wish you luck," Punk replied.

Hope pulled him into a kiss, resting her head on his shoulder. She was glad they'd worked things out. She was also glad that Punk hadn't attacked Jeff. Well, that's what Punk had told her. That he hadn't kicked the crap out of Jeff. Punk hated lying to her but he knew she'd be pissed off. Candice Michelle entered the locker room, a towel wrapped around her body. She pretty much freaked out when she saw Punk. She started shoving him towards the door.

"Punk, get out of here! You can't be in women's locker room!" Candice whined.

Punk gave Hope a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. Hope couldn't help but laugh when she saw that Candice was still freaked. Candice shoved her, sticking out her tongue.

"Why didn't you tell me he was here?" Candice asked.

"I didn't know he was gonna sneak in!" Hope replied, grinning.

"I'm in a towel for God's sake!"

"You should've got dressed."

"Bitch."

"Hoe."

Hope laughed as she made her way out of the locker room. Her match was next and she was ready to kick ass. Michelle's ass. She knew Michelle had a few tricks up her sleeves but Hope was prepared. The brunette heard Michelle's music play, hearing a mix of boos and cheers from the crowd. Michelle was the type of diva that didn't care about what the fans were chanting. Especially since her recent heel turn. The brunette waited to hear 'Crazy Bitch', her entrance so she could just get on with the match. Hope decided to nix her usual entrance. When her music played, she dove into the ring, spearing Michelle.

She didn't give Michelle any chance to hit back. She just kept throwing punches, left and right. Hope dragged Michelle to her feet, slamming her head into the turnbuckle. Michelle attempted a spinning kick but Hope caught her leg. She shoved the blonde to the ground, putting her in a headlock. Unfortunately, Michelle quickly countered and tried to pin Hope. Hope kicked out after the one-count. That's when Michelle started her trash talk. She mouthed the words 'He's mine' and Hope lost it. She used her finishing move on Michelle and pinned her one, two, three.

"Here is your winner…Hope!" Lillian announced.

Hope shot Michelle a lethal glare before getting out of the ring. Michelle stood up, holding her back in pain. The anger was pretty damn evident on her face. This wasn't over. Michelle McCool didn't give up that easily. This meant war. Michelle headed to the back, listening to the crowd boo her. She was too pissed off to notice anything.

Hope ran into Jeff on her way back to the locker room. He looked her in the eye but quickly turned away. It seemed to Hope that he walking faster just to get away from her. What was that about? As far as Hope knew, she hadn't done anything wrong. The brunette quickened her pace to catch up with Jeff, grabbing his arm.

"What's with you?" Hope asked.

"What do you mean?" Jeff countered.

"You've been avoiding me this whole week."

"Don't be ridiculous. I have not."

"Oh? What about just now?"

"Don't, Hope. Just don't."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"You were right all along. We can't do this."

"You're twisting my words."

"I think it's better if we don't even talk."

"No. Don't say that. You don't mean it."

"Yeah, Hope. I do mean it."

Jeff saw the tears forming in Hope's eyes. He turned away, listening to her run off. That was a stupid move. He'd just hurt Hope again. That was such a great feeling. He was such an idiot sometimes. Hope was probably never going to speak to him again. It would've been different if they didn't work in the same industry. It would've been different if Matt and Hope weren't so close. Jeff felt overly guilty for making Hope cry. It was ironic because he hated seeing her cry.

He felt like a total idiot. This whole situation could've been fixed if he'd just talked to Hope. Why couldn't he just do that? Was it because Punk told him to stay away from Hope? No. Jeff wasn't listening to that. But, then why was he ignoring Hope? Jeff wanted to end this. Let Punk have Hope. He couldn't handle another broken heart. If Hope was meant to be with him, she'd come on her own. End of story.

But, what if she wasn't? No. Jeff couldn't think that way. He knew deep down in his heart that Hope was meant to be his. So why were there so many things standing in his way? It didn't seem fair. Punk had lied and cheated to get Hope. Why did the nice, honest guys finish last? It seemed that they only got the girl in the movies. Despite all the drama, this was certainly no movie.

Hope found herself in the lobby of the hotel. She needed to think, clear her thoughts. Get Jeff off of her mind. People were staring at her, watching her cry her eyes out. Hope felt someone pick her up and walk with her in their arms. _What the hell?_ Hope couldn't see who was carrying her. _Not another mystery guy_, she thought. The mystery figure entered a hotel room and dropped her onto the bed. Hope looked up to see Randy Orton standing over her. She punched him in the arm.

"What the hell, Randy?" she snapped.

"You looked like you needed to talk to someone," Randy replied.

"Yeah. I got a lot of stuff on my mind."

"Tell me. I'll listen."

"That's a shocker. Randy Orton wanting to have an actual conversation with a female."

"Hey, I'm not always such a manwhore."

"Most of the time you are."

"Guilty as charged."

"Jeff hates me. I'm in love with him and Punk."

"And you say _I'm_ a manwhore."

"Damn it, Orton!"

"I'm sorry. Jeff's in love with you, how could he hate you?"

"We're not talking anymore."

"Not talking?"

"Do I stutter?"

"It's just hard to believe."

Hope frowned at that thought. Regardless whether she was in love with Jeff or not, he was a great person to talk to. He'd listen to whatever you had to say, even if he was busy doing something else. Hope missed that already. But, she wasn't going to think negatively. She and Jeff would patch things up. They just had to. Feeling some tears start to form, Hope hugged Randy, crying into his chest.

Randy was a bit shocked when she hugged him. He hesitantly put his arms around her, trying to comfort her. He wasn't good at comforting people. Especially women. When it came to women, Randy was only used to sex. But, this was Hope. She was pretty much the only person, other than his wife, that tolerated his arrogance. Randy grabbed a tissue and handed it to Hope, pulling her closer to him.

Was it weird that Hope found comfort in Randy Orton of all people? Not at all. He wasn't that bad of a guy. Cocky as all hell, but he had a sweet side. Though, Randy only showed his sweet side to Hope and his wife. Besides, Hope didn't mind talking to Randy. He was a pretty good listener. Like now, he'd just let her vent her feelings.

The moment John heard that Jeff had made Hope cry, he was enraged. Who the hell did Jeff think he was? John understood that he was hurt and angry. But, no one told him to go and kiss Michelle. It was his own fault. Hope did nothing wrong. She was the innocent pawn in Jeff and Punk's twisted game. Punk had learned his lesson after John kicked his ass. Apparently he had to teach Jeff know. He banged on the door to the Hardys' hotel room. Matt answered the door, surprised to see John.

"What are you doing here, John?" Matt asked.

"Where's your brother?" John countered.

"I don't know. Maybe with Michelle."

"Tell him that I'm gonna kill him."

"Why? What happened?"

"Well, he told Hope that he never wants to speak to her again. She's been crying her eyes out ever since."

"_I'm_ going to kill him."

"I don't understand his problem."

"And you think I do?"

"You're his brother."

"That doesn't mean I understand him."

"He's an asshole."

"Is Hope okay?"

"She'll be fine as soon as she stops crying."

"When he gets in, I'll call you."

"That's all I ask, Matt."

"Later, john."

John turned and stormed out. Matt shut the door, turning to glare at Jeff. Jeff tried to pull an innocent look but Matt wasn't amused. Jeff and Matt hardly ever lied to one another. Especially when it came to their friends. That's what pissed Matt off even more. Jeff could see the anger in his older brother's eyes.

"You told me you and Hope _agreed _to not talk for a while," Matt snapped.

"Well, it's kind of like truth but different," Jeff tried.

"I'm not amused/ John said you really hurt her."

"I know! I feel shitty about it."

"So go apologize."

"You know I can't."

"But, you could go fuck Michelle."

"Fuck you."

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"It's just different with Michelle."

"Different my ass."

Jeff let out a sigh. Matt just didn't understand. He should've understood the love triangle thing. Especially what happened between Edge and Lita and him. But, this was different. This love triangle wasn't a triangle. It was a war. A love war. Once again, Jeff wondered how he'd gotten himself mixed up into this whole thing. Oh, right. Vince had asked him to train the new Diva. Why couldn't she have been manly like Beth Phoenix? It would've saved a lot of broken hearts and bypassed a few fights.

Michelle was still in pain after her match with Hope. Hope wasn't kidding when she said she'd bring her all. Even though she lost the match, she still had Jeff. Michelle knew that fact was eating away at Hope. The downside to her vindictiveness? Jeff was getting all angry with her. Michelle didn't care that most of the divas weren't talking to her. She had her alliance with Beth Phoenix and Melina. That was fine by her. As long as she could make Hope's life miserable, she was happy.

Was it cruel? Yes. Was it wrong? Probably. Did that stop Michelle? Not at all. For the strangest reason, she enjoyed Hope's pain. Maybe she should stop talking to Snitsky. The funny thing was that Michelle was actually a really sweet person. Hope just so happened to bring out the uber bitch in her. She was pretty sure that Hope felt the exact same way.

While deep in thought, she noticed Ashley and Candice Michelle headed her way. _Just great_, Michelle thought. She knew Ashley was really close with Hope. Which explained the icy glare from the punk diva. Ashley and Candice stopped in front of Michelle, both of them glaring with their arms crossed. Michelle glared right back, waiting for one of them to speak up.

"You've got some nerve," Ashley snapped.

"Seriously. Hope never did a damn thing to you," Candice added.

"How about you guys stick with what you know. Playboy bunnies," Michelle shot back.

"That's cute. Screw with Hope again and you'll deal with me," Ashley said.

"Is that a threat, Punk Princess?"

"Of course not. It's a promise."

Ashley slapped Michelle hard across the face before storming off with Candice close behind. Michelle stood in shock, holding her jaw. She could taste her blood in her mouth. She should've known not the screw with Ashley. Ashley never took crap from anyone. Especially when it had to do with her friends. Michelle stormed off as well, hoping to find Jeff and have her way. It'd been surprisingly easy to get what she wanted from him. She had a feeling she knew why. Michelle pushed those thoughts from her mind as she made her way towards Jeff's hotel room. As she got there, Matt was on his way out. Michelle flashed him a smile but for some reason he shot her an icy glare.

Jeff was actually genuinely happy to see Michelle. He scooped her up into his arms, kissing her roughly. The rainbow-haired warrior starting taking off Michelle's clothes, pushing her onto the bed. Michelle pulled Jeff's body closer to hers, tugging at his lip ring with her teeth. Why was it so easy to have her way with him? Did he finally have a change of heart and realize that she was the one for him? Yeah and Hawkins and Ryder are smarter than a fifth grader. Michelle was done with the negativity. She wanted to be happy. Happy with Jeff.

Was Jeff happy with her? Right now, it seemed that he was. Michelle was oddly okay with that. This just proved that Jeff could be happy with her. Hopefully he realized that too. Michelle was sure that Jeff had always been happy with her, he just didn't know how to show it. Was that true in any way, shape or form? Probably not. But, hey. Couldn't a girl just dream? Michelle was fine with her fantasy.

"I love you, Michelle," Jeff whispered.

"I love you too," Michelle smiled.

After talking with Randy, Hope headed to Punk's hotel room. She was going to let things be with Jeff. _People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end._ Hope was going to give that phrase a try. Right now, she just wanted to fall asleep in Punk's arms. She wanted to be close to him and feel safe. The brunette heard her Sidekick LX vibrate, informing her she had a text message.

_Feeling better? -J._

Hope smiled at the text. John had flipped his lid when she'd told him what Jeff said to her. Hope had been a wreck then, crying her eyes out. John had managed to console her before vowing to kick the living crap out of Jeff.

_Stop worrying. I'm fine. -H._

Hope slid her sidekick back into her pocket, opening the door to Punk's hotel room. Punk was in bed, watching last week's taking of SmackDown. His eyes lit up when he saw her, motioning for her to join him. Hope moved towards the bed, laying next to Punk as she kissed him. Punk draped an arm over her slender figure.

"Feeling any better?" Punk asked.

"I'll be fine. I've been hurt worse," Hope answered.

"It makes me feel guilty for hurting you."

"It's okay because I love you."

"You know I love you more."

"More? I don't think that's possible."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah really."

Punk started tickling Hope, a grin dancing on his lips. Hope couldn't stop giggling as she tried to get away from Punk's grasp. She'd always been pretty ticklish. Hope grabbed Punk's wrists, straddling him. She kissed his lips then his neck. A grin was dancing on her lips now too. The brunette pinned Punk's arms above his head as leaned close to his ear.

"Do you surrender?" Hope asked.

"Never," Punk grinned.

He kissed Hope again, wrapping his arms around her body. This was exactly where he wanted to be. In a room, alone with Hope in arms just enjoying the silence and their time together. This was how it should always be. Punk knew he and Hope were meant to be. They just had to be. If they weren't, then why did Hope keep coming back to him? Why did she always end up in his arms? Punk didn't care about the answers. They weren't important to him. He had his dream girl.

Hope truly enjoyed being with Punk. So why was her mind stuck on Jeff? His smile. His accent, the way he held her close. _Stop it, Hope_, she scolded herself, _Just be happy_. Just be happy. If only it was that easy. John's words echoed through her ears. _It's as easy as you make it_. As much as she wanted to, Hope couldn't believe that. It would've been easier to forget about Jeff and Punk and just date Shannon. But, Hope wasn't going to do that. She was happy with Punk. She loved him.

Punk reach over to the nightstand, grabbing a tiny box. This was it. This was the moment. It was now or never. Oh no. his throat was dry, he couldn't speak. Punk took a deep breath, looking down at Hope. Once Hope felt Punk moving around, she sat up and looked him in the eye. She tilted her head to the side, wondering what he had to say.

"Hope," Punk started. "Will you marry me?"


	15. Chapter 15: Just Watch the Fireworks

Jeff knew he had to fix things with Hope. Not because John was going to kick his ass but because he didn't want to lose Hope. The rainbow-haired warrior was on his was his way to John's hotel room. Maybe he'd give some good advice. That's what Jeff needed. Advice. How was he going to handle this? Was it possible not to hurt Hope in the process? Jeff was going try. He'd already hurt Hope and it wasn't fun. The whole silence game was driving him nuts. Hope was one of his closest friends. This had to end.

The silence? It wasn't working. Jeff thought that ignoring Hope would make things better. It actually made him want her even more. Would she forgive him for hurting her? Jeff sincerely hoped she would. And if she didn't? He'd be heartbroken, more heartbroken than he was right now. He had to at least try. And try again if he failed.

Michelle wasn't happy with him. After telling her that he loved her, Jeff had told her he needed to apologize to Hope. Michelle had simply rolled her eyes and nodded. Not that what she said mattered. Jeff was going to apologize whether she liked it or not. He knocked on the door, patiently waiting for John to open up.

_Jeff sat in the living room of his girlfriend's Philadelphia house. Michaela strode towards him, kissing his lips. Jeff smiled as he pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. He let hit lips linger along Michaela's neck. She giggled, swatting him away. This couldn't have been more perfect. The two of them couldn't have been happier. Jeff was serious about Michaela. Was she the one? Jeff was pretty sure she was. He was happy with her and she with him. She was his world, his everything. Life was complete for Jeff as long as he had Michaela._

"_You think we'll be together forever?" Michaela asked._

"_Yes. Always," Jeff answered without hesitation._

"_Always," Michaela repeated. "And never."_

_She'd sort of mumbled that last part, making sure Jeff didn't hear. Good. He didn't. Michaela snuggled closer to Jeff, breathing in his scent. She hated this. When he was this attractive it made her feel guilty. Guilty about she'd done? Done? No, no. Michaela was cheating on Jeff. Let him think they were a picture perfect couple. He'd take the hint eventually. If not? Michaela would break it to him soon enough._

John had been asleep when he heard the knocking. He dragged his lazy ass out of bed, muttering profanities. He glared at Jeff when he opened the door. Jeff opened his mouth to say something but no words came out. He braced himself for whatever John was going to do. Whether it be a punch or a roundhouse kick, Jeff was ready. But, John didn't do anything. He just simply motioned for Jeff to come inside.

"You're not gonna hit me?" Jeff asked.

"Surprisingly no," John answered. "I know you didn't wanna hurt Hope."

"I need your advice, John."

"You want my advice? Talk to her."

"I get nervous around her."

"That's how she is around you."

"I don't think she ever wants to see me again."

"She does. She told me she didn't want to lose you."

Jeff's eyes lit up at that. That meant she was still struggling with her feelings which meant she still loved him. Now it was just a matter of getting her. Jeff knew there was no easy way to do that. He was hoping that maybe John could help him out. Could he really seduce Hope away from Punk? That didn't matter. Jeff was going to try it anyway. Yeah, he was that determined.

John knew how much Hope meant to Jeff. He knew they were meant to be. But, he had a feeling Punk was going to use some dirty tricks to get his way. There were plenty of other good looking Divas. Why couldn't Punk go after one of them? That would've been too… That was it! If Punk was attracted to another woman, Jeff could have Hope. It wouldn't be that easy. Punk truly was in love with Hope and John could see that.

"Can you help me get her?" Jeff asked.

"I can try. I'm mot guaranteeing anything," John answered.

"That's fine by me."

"You'd better not hurt her again or--"

"Or you'll kick my ass. I know."

"No. Hurt Hope again and I'll kill you."

"Are y-you serious?"

"Hope's my best friend. Nobody hurts her."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Michelle was beyond pissed. How could Jeff tell her that he loved her and then run off to Hope? It made her want to scream. But, he'd said he loved her. That was good, right? It was great. Michelle knew Jeff meant those three words. She could tell by the look in his eyes. Those beautiful green eyes. Michelle was totally hooked on him. Was that healthy? Probably not. But, she didn't care. Things were finally falling into place.

Well, sort of. All Michelle had to do was convince Jeff to forget about Hope. that's when things would be picture perfect. Her inner voice kept telling her that it was a lost cause. The blonde was done with negativity. Upward and onward. That's how she was facing things now. It was a good mantra to live by. Michelle couldn't help but picture Jeff with his arms around Hope, his lips lingering on her skin.

_Stop it, Michelle_, she scolded herself. Why did Michelle keep doing this to herself? It didn't matter if Jeff had any feelings towards Hope. She knew Hope wasn't going to try anything. Why? Because she knew what it was like to be hurt. Did Michelle care? No. But, she felt like she should've cared. This was definitely going to come back around.

"I don't…I don't know what to say," Hope whispered.

Her brain was still trying to process those four little words. Did Punk seriously just propose to her? Hope was in total shock. She couldn't even put together an intelligent thought. Was she going to say yes? Or no? Was this really happening? No. It couldn't be happening. But, it was and she knew it. She just didn't expect it.

"Say yes," Punk replied.

"Punk, I just…I…" Hope's voice trailed.

"Please say yes."

"Yes, I'll marry you," Hope smiled.

"God, I love you."

"Back at ya, love."

A grin crossed Punk's perfect lips as he slid the ring onto Hope's finger. He pulled her into a kiss, lifting her into his arms. This was great. No. It was better than great. He'd half expected Hope to say no. but, she hadn't. She'd said yes. It was official. Punk and Hope were now engaged. Punk let his lips find their way to Hope's, bringing her body closer to his. It still wasn't close enough. He couldn't have been happier.

Was saying yes the right move? Hope told herself it was. She was happy with Punk and now she was even happier. This was perfect. This was how Hope wanted things to be. The brunette kissed Punk back, lacing her fingers with his. A smile crossed her lips as she rested her head on his chest. Nothing could get rid of that smile. Hope didn't need any convincing. This was the right choice. She was officially engaged.

Jeff had finally made up his mind. He was going to get Hope this time once and for all. Nothing was going to stop him this time. He wouldn't allow it. Jeff had left a message on Hope's cell phone, asking her to meet him for coffee in an hour. The hour passed quickly and Jeff stood pacing in the small coffee shop, awaiting Hope's presence. Finally, he caught a glimpse of the exquisite brunette. It seemed to him that she was glowing. Did she have something to tell him too?

Was it good news? Or bad news? Was she coming to confess her feelings for him? Jeff didn't care. As long as she was talking to him again, he'd be happy as a clam. Jeff started to picture his relationship with Hope. It'd be perfect. They were meant to be. Jeff was finally starting to believe it. Did this mean he had to thank Vince for forcing him to train Hope? He was pretty glad he'd agreed.

Hope had been thrilled when Jeff asked to meet up with her. That meant they were talking again which was fantastic. Hope wasn't sure if she could stand not talking to Jeff. It felt like a part of her was missing without him. She pulled Jeff into a hug when she saw him. He smiled when saw her. Oh no. There it was again. The moment where she knew she belonged with Jeff. Jeff and Hope both leaned in for a kiss. Hope held the kiss for a moment before pulling away, resting her head on Jeff's shoulder.

"I'm engaged," she whispered.

"You're…you're what?" Jeff stammered.

"Engaged," Hope showed him the ring.

"To…Punk?"

"No. To Morgan Freeman," Hope rolled her eyes. "Of course to Punk."

"That's…really great, Hope. I'm happy for you," Jeff forced a smile.

"You don't seem happy."

"I am. Really. I'm just shocked."

"Good. 'Cause that makes me happy."

"I like seeing you happy."

"You're a great friend, Jeff."

"So are you."

Jeff motioned for Hope to sit down with him. He still couldn't grasp what she'd told him. Engaged? To Punk? It seemed crazy. Jeff felt his chest tighten, his heart beating faster than usual. His heart was breaking all over again. Why did she kiss him back? Did she really enjoy torturing him like this? No. He was torturing himself. This was it now. Nothing else could happen between him and Hope. She was engaged and he had to respect that. Regardless whether he liked it or not.

Hope could tell Jeff wasn't too happy about her news. Did she just break his heart? Yes. She could see it in his eyes. Damn it! Why did she still want him? Hope pushed those thoughts from her head as she ordered a Vanilla Latte. She was simply glad that things were okay between her and Jeff. Okay? Things weren't okay and Hope knew it. But, she was going to pretend that everything was fine. She had to. Things had to change now. Regardless whether she liked it or not.

Jeff stared into his coffee cup, not wanting to look Hope in the eye. If he did, he'd start rambling on about how he thought she was making the wrong choice. But, he couldn't say that. It wasn't right. Not to mention rude. Why couldn't he just be happy for her? They were friends and friends were supposed to be happy for each other. Unless the friends had feelings toward each other. That'd make it a different story.

Friends.

Oh, how Jeff loathed that word. Friends. He couldn't be _just_ friends with Hope. It wasn't possible. Especially not after the way they confessed their feelings towards one another. Could they ever go back to being just friends? Maybe. Jeff wasn't so sure. From the look in her eyes, Jeff could tell Hope wasn't so sure either. That wasn't the worst of his problems. Earlier, he'd gotten a text from Michaela. She wanted to see him, patch things up. Naturally, Jeff had refused. He couldn't deal with her. He wouldn't.

"I'm glad we worked things out," Hope smiled.

"Yeah. Me too," Jeff replied.

Word quickly spread to the Divas that Punk and Hope were engaged. Some of the Divas were shocked, assuming Hope would end up with Jeff. Among those Divas were Maria, Ashley and Mickie James. They couldn't believe it. It wasn't meant to be. At least not in their opinion. Maria saw Punk heading their way and called him over.

"Are you and Hope really engaged?" Maria asked.

"Wow. News travels fast," Punk laughed.

"Just answer the question," Ashley rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we're really engaged. Didn't she tell you?"

"She went to meet Jeff for coffee," Mickie said.

"Coffee my ass," Punk snapped.

"Chill out, Punk. Hope loves you."

"Then why is she with Jeff now?"

"Because they're friends. Deal with it," Ashley interjected.

Punk knew she was right. Jeff and Hope were friends. He had to deal with it. He sure as hell didn't like it. But, that didn't matter. Punk had to pretend to like it. His fiancée spending her time with another man. He knew Jeff was wildly in love with Hope. Everyone knew it. Everyone but Hope. No. She knew it. She just didn't want to believe it. Punk was fine with that. As long as she wasn't cheating on him. Which she wasn't. Well, as far as Punk knew she wasn't. He didn't know about the make-out session she'd had with Jeff. Obviously. Jeff would've been dead if he found out.

Despite the fact that Hope was with Jeff, Punk couldn't get the smile off of his perfect lips. He still couldn't believe that she'd said yes. Yes! To him! It was like he was watching this whole thing on T.V. Any minute, Ashton Kutcher was going to come out and tell him that he was being Punk'd. _Stop it, Punk_, he scolded himself. This was a reality. Nothing was going to change that. He knew Jeff wasn't going to try anything. Not when it could hurt Hope. That was one thing Jeff and Punk could agree on. Neither one of them wanted to hurt Hope.

She'd slept with him. Not that she'd meant. It was actually the last thing she'd wanted to do. But, it was just so amazing. And slightly awkward. Not many people could say that they'd had sex in the back of a coffee shop. Hope didn't regret it and neither did Jeff. They didn't speak afterwards. Which made the car ride back to the hotel really awkward. Jeff couldn't take the silence anymore. It was literally killing him.

"Are you gonna ignore me forever?" Jeff asked.

"I'm not ignoring you," Hope answered.

"Yeah you are. Don't lie to me."

"No, Jeff. I'm not."

"You haven't said a word since…"

"That shouldn't have happened."

"Why do you keep fighting your feelings for me?"

"I don't have feelings for you."

"Then why did we just have sex?"

"It can't happen again."

"You want it to happen again."

"I don't want it to happen again."

"I can tell that you do."

"I'm engaged."

"Yeah, to the wrong guy," Jeff mumbled.

Hope still felt pretty shitty. She knew she was making Jeff crazy. But, whenever she saw him she lost all control. The sex, as good as it was, was a mistake. A mistake that she didn't want to take back. She'd done the one thing she swore she'd never do: cheat on someone. Hope had suffered enough broken hearts due to her exes cheating on her. Yet she'd just cheated on Punk. Punk. He couldn't know about this. Ever. All she had to do was pretend it didn't happen.

Easier said than done. How could she just pretend that it didn't happen? She didn't want to lose her friendship with Jeff. But, she knew couldn't cheat on Punk again. Look what it was doing to her now. Usually, the brunette had a smile on her face. Now a frown replaced her exquisite smile. It didn't matter. She was still attractive, even with a pout on her thin lips. Hope sighed, waiting for the elevator to take her to her room. No. Not her room. John's. She really needed to talk. She needed advice. Not just any advice. Hope needed John's advice. He'd tell her if was making a mistake.

Edge couldn't believe what he kept hearing. Everyone was talking about how Hope was engaged. But, no one would tell him _who_ she was engaged to. Edge was ready to bet money that it was Jeff. He hated to admit it, but Hope looked good with a Hardy. Not that the Rated-R Superstar would ever say that out loud. He saw Hope by the elevator and called her name as he headed over.

He had to find out the truth. Mostly because he was a nosy bastard. Besides, this was a chance to poke fun at a Hardy. Everyone knew Edge enjoyed doing that. Cruel? Yes. But, that's how Edge was. No one bothered to questions his antics anymore. Thankfully, he'd sent the Edgeheads off to do his bidding. He didn't need them hitting on Hope while he talked to her. Hawkins and Ryder were probably up in the vent system again, listening in to private conversation. See? He really was nosy.

Hope did her best not to roll her eyes when she saw Edge. She usually had to deal with the Edgeheads hitting on her and all that crap. They could be nice but they were as dumb as dry paint. Edge strode over to Hope, putting an arm around her shoulder and smiling his signature cocky grin. Hope politely smiled, pushing Edge's arm away. She glared at him, waiting for him to say something.

"I hear you're engaged," Edge said.

"That got around fast," Hope replied.

"Who are you engaged to? Jeff?"

"No. Punk."

"Seriously, Hope. It's Jeff, isn't it?"

"No. It's not Jeff."

"Are you busting my balls again?"

"Adam, Punk proposed to me."

"Okay, now you're just insulting my intelligence."

"What intelligence?"

"That's cute. Very original."

"Why did you think that I was engaged to Jeff."

"You two are meant to be."

Edge got off at his floor, leaving Hope alone in the elevator. _You two are meant to be_. Hope did her best to ignore Edge's words. She couldn't. He'd actually said something intelligent for once. He had a brain? Apparently so. Were they meant to be? Jeff and Hope? No. Hope was meant to be with Punk. That's why she was going to marry him. Jeff had to be out of the picture. Not fully but the whole hooking up thing had to stop. Hope wasn't a cheater. She didn't want to be a whore and string along two men. It was cruel.

Hope wasn't a cruel person. Okay, maybe just a little cruel. But, that was too cruel. She couldn't do it. She knew what it was like to strung along like a little toy. She hated it. So why was she doing it now? Hope hated when she was alone with her thoughts. She'd always realize how she could've changed things in her life. Why? Why did she have to deal with this? She didn't want to be in this position.

John had been awaiting Hope's visit ever since he got off the phone with Maria. That'd been about an hour ago. He knew his friend would be coming, asking for advice. She always did. John had to bit his tongue this time. He couldn't just blurt out that he thought Hope was making a wrong choice. She'd never listen to him. She'd probably flip out too. John heard the knocking on his door and smiled, knowing it was Hope. He opened the door, motioning for her to come in. Hope sat down on the bed, looking up at John. He sat next to her on the bed, locking eyes with her.

"We need to talk," Hope said.

"Damn straight," John replied. "Why wasn't I the first to know that you were engaged?"

"You're such an ass. I'm serious."

"So am I. I think Umaga knew before me."

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

"I like busting your chops."

"Can you get serious please?"

"What advice do you need?"

"I slept with Jeff in the back of a coffee shop."

John's mouth pretty much fell open. Hope did _what_? Was he shocked? To say the least, yes. John saw the look on Hope's face and pulled her into a hug. Why did she put herself through this? Just choose one guy. Forget about Punk and Jeff. John knew Hope would never do that. He knew how in love she was.

But sleeping with Jeff? Well, he didn't doubt it any longer. Hope was obviously in love with two men. Two great guys. If was in love with like Randy and Jeff, John could've easily told her to go for Jeff because he was the better guy. This was different. John couldn't pick the guy for her. Even if he could, that's not what she wanted. She wanted the choice to be easier and that's what he was there for.

"You slept with Jeff?" John asked.

"It was a mistake," Hope replied.

"Did you like it?"

"I loved it, John."

"Then it wasn't a mistake."

"I'm engaged to Punk and I slept with Jeff. That's a mistake."

"At least you didn't sleep with someone like Edge."

"Ugh, don't make me gag, John."

"What are you gonna do about your affair?"

"I was hoping you could give me the answer to that."

"You know I can't do that."

"I really wish you could."

Hope lay back on the bed, closing her eyes. Her thoughts started to wander and she forgot about her problems. that's what she really wanted. To forget her problems. That wasn't going to happen. She it wasn't. Not even John could help her with this. She had to sort her feelings out on her own. Could she do it on her own? Yes. She could do anything. Hope felt John's strong arms around her slim frame.

"This is crazy," Hope said.

"You made the right choice," John whispered.

"You really think so?"

"I know you did."

"You always know what to say."

Jeff wanted to be drunk as all hell. But, he wasn't. He wanted to be numb. But, he wasn't. He didn't want to feel the heartbreak. But, he did. The rainbow-haired warrior was in some sort of haze as he headed back to his hotel room, his heart torn into pieces. Why couldn't humans live without their hearts? He would've preferred that right now. Then again, he would've preferred anything to this. He would've preferred a live sex show from Edge and Lita right now. Yeah, he was feeling that bad.

Matt noticed his brother's depression the moment he walked through the door. Wasn't he just with Hope? He should've been happy. Matt sized up Jeff, knowing this was serious. Jeff was hardly ever this serious. It was actually starting to freak Matt out. He wanted to know what was going on. He waited for his brother to speak. Jeff said nothing. A minute went by. Two minutes. Three. Four. Finally a whole hour passed. That's when Matt broke the silence. He just couldn't take it anymore.

"Jeff, what's wrong?" Matt asked.

"She's engaged," Jeff whispered.

"You mean Hope?"

"Yeah. Engaged to CM Punk."

"I'm…I'm sorry, Jeff."

"I slept with her. In the coffee shop."

"But, she's engaged."

"I know."

"But, you slept with her."

"I know. It's a shitty thing to do."

"Are you guys talking?"

"We were. I don't know anymore."

Matt was about to say something when he heard knocking on their door. He motioned for Jeff to go answer the door. It might've been Hope. Matt knew the chances of that were slim and none. But, it put a smile on Jeff's face. That was good enough for now. Jeff got up off his lazy ass and headed to the door. The smile quickly faded when he saw the exquisite beauty that had graced him with her presence. He couldn't believe she was here.

"Hey Jeff," she smiled.


	16. Chapter 16: The Show Must Go On

Michaela. She was here. She was standing in front of him. Jeff couldn't believe his eyes. His mouth was dry. That didn't matter. His brain had froze once he saw her face. He'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was. Michaela simply grinned at Jeff, knowing how she made him weak. Despite himself, he just wanted to kiss her. But, Jeff was going to be strong. He couldn't have Michaela back in his life.

"Why are you here?" Jeff asked.

"I told you. I wanted to see you," Michaela answered.

"You…you can't be here."

"Why not?"

"I don't want you here."

"Jeff, I missed you."

"Get out, Michaela."

Jeff couldn't look at her any longer. If he did, he'd end up doing something he'd regret. Like kissing her. Oh, but he _did_ want to kiss her. Matt heard the tone of Jeff's voice and knew that it was Michaela. How dare she show her face again? Especially after what she did to Jeff. If she wasn't a woman, Matt would've hit her. Hell, he was tempted to hit her now. He motioned for his brother just to shut the door. Jeff was about to do so when Michaela stopped the door.

"I had a baby, Jeff," she said.

"You what?" Jeff asked.

"When you came to see me that last time and we slept together," she paused. "I got pregnant after that."

"Don't listen to her, Jeff," Matt interjected.

"I wouldn't lie to you," Michaela said.

"You already have," Jeff snapped.

"You really think I'd lie about this?"

"Why not? You lie about everything else."

Part of Jeff actually _did_ believe Michaela. He knew he shouldn't have slept with her that night. He knew he should've just taken his stuff and left. Did he? No. He wasn't able to resist Michaela then. He still wasn't. It took all Jeff had not to reach out and pull Michaela into his arms. Was he too forgiving? Probably. That would've explained why he always got hurt. Was Michaela telling the truth for once? Neither Hardy boy knew.

"I would never lie about something this serious," Michaela said.

"Come in," Jeff replied.

Matt stared at his younger brother in shock. Was Jeff really going to believe Michaela's words just like that? He had a feeling that Michaela was lying to Jeff. Something didn't fit. What was it? Matt didn't know. Yet. But, he'd find out soon enough. The tension in the air was pretty thick. Matt saw the looks Michaela was giving Jeff. She was acting as if nothing had happened. As if she'd never slept with Hawkins and Ryder. Matt couldn't take it anymore. He stormed out of the room, muttering under his breath. Jeff wanted to go after him. He didn't want to be alone with Michaela. He never trusted himself around her. He'd never been good at resisting her charm and she knew it.

"Am I the father?" Jeff managed.

"You know I wouldn't have bothered you if you weren't," Michaela replied.

"You sure it wasn't Hawkins? Or Ryder?"

"That was just a one night stand."

"You hurt me so bad."

"That was never my intention."

"You sound like Amy when she broke Matt's heart."

"Don't compare me to her. It's not like that."

Jeff frowned as he looked away. He felt Michaela move closer to him, sitting in his lap. He felt her skin touching his. He couldn't help the feeling. Jeff had almost forgotten how soft her skin was. _No!_ He couldn't. He wouldn't. Jeff was in love with Hope and that was it. Michelle was just lust and sex. He couldn't have anything with Michaela. It would only leave him heartbroken. Again. They both knew it.

"Is it a boy or girl?" Jeff asked, his voice a whisper.

"Girl. Her name is Jessica," Michaela answered.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You said you never wanted to see me again."

"I say a lot of things I don't mean."

"You meant it then and you mean it now."

"We have a daughter, Mickey."

"That doesn't change how you feel about me."

"I know."

"I'm trying to fix this, Jeff."

Matt couldn't believe that Michaela had the audacity to show up again. It made him sick how Jeff pretty much jumped right back into her arms. When it came to Michaela, Jeff was too forgiving. What about Michelle? What about Hope? Matt was still in awe of the fact that Jeff got Michaela pregnant. He'd told Jeff not to go see Michaela that last time. He knew wouldn't end well. He'd been right all along. Matt saw Hope heading down the hallway and quickened his pace to catch up with her. He wrapped his arms around Hope's waist, resting his head on her shoulder.

"I hear you slept with my brother," Matt said.

"You heard right," Hope frowned.

"What's with the sad face?"

"I hate feeling torn like this."

"Is it that hard to choose?"

"I know that I want Jeff but I can't trust him."

"He never meant to hurt you. That kiss meant nothing."

"Then why is he with Michelle?"

"To get his mind off you."

"That's not true."

"You know I'd never lie to you."

Hope didn't say anything. She just pulled away from Matt, looking deep into his eyes. She wanted to believe that he was lying, that Jeff didn't care about her. But, that wasn't going to happen. Hope knew Matt was telling the truth and she knew Jeff was in love with her. This pretty much sucked no matter how you looked at it. Hope just wanted to forget it all. She knew Punk would find out that she slept with Jeff. All hell was going to break loose. It was inevitable. She never should've slept with him. It was wrong and she knew it.

"Are you gonna tell Punk?" Matt asked.

"I don't know," Hope answered.

"He deserves to know."

"He'll murder Jeff and you know it."

"Jeff has bigger things on his mind."

"What? Like Michelle?"

"Don't get pissy. You should've made a move."

"Oh, bite me, Matt."

"I'd love to."

"You're an ass, you know that?"

"But, I made you smile."

Hope knew he was right. No matter what, Matt could always make her smile or laugh even if she was feeling crappy. That's just how he was. Hope just hated to admit that Matt was right. She gave Matt a quick kiss on the cheek before heading towards Punk's room. She knew she had to tell him the truth. Matt was glad he'd run into Hope. He'd totally forgotten about how badly he'd wanted to strangle Michaela. Well, he'd forgotten for the moment at least.

CM Punk was just on his way out when he ran into Hope. He grinned, pulling his fiancée into a sensual kiss. For the strangest reason, Hope pulled away. Punk eyed her up and down, giving her this curious look. Why was she acting this way? Punk ignored those thoughts and attempted to kiss Hope again. But, she still pushed him away. For a split second, Punk thought he saw tears in Hope's eyes. No, he was right. There were tears in Hope's eyes. Why? What'd happened? That's what he wanted to know.

"Hope, what's wrong?" Punk asked.

"I slept with Jeff," Hope whispered.

"I can't hear you if you're whispering."

"I slept with Jeff."

"WHAT?!"

"Please don't be mad. I didn't wanna hurt you, I just…"

Punk wasn't mad. He was absolutely furious. Until he saw Hope's reaction. She was shaking because her tears were so violent. Punk could tell how guilty she felt. He pulled Hope into a hug, letting her sob into his chest. Hope did her best to calm herself. She wiped at her eyes, looking up at Punk.

"I'm so sorry," Hope said.

"It never happened," Punk replied.

She was gone. For now at least. Jeff sat with his face buried in his hands, trying to get Michaela out of his mind. She'd kissed him. Right before Michaela had left, she'd pushed Jeff onto the bed shoved her lips onto his. The rainbow-haired warrior was still reeling from that kiss. He'd enjoyed it more than he should have. This was more than Jeff could handle. It was bad enough that Hope turned him into mush, he didn't need Michaela to make things worse. They couldn't meet. Hope and Michaela could never meet. The outcome would be absolutely horrid. Hope was a sweet girl but if you screwed with her friends, she'd kill you. Jeff already knew how she felt about Michaela.

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. It was Michelle. Jeff turned away from her, his mind still on Michaela. He didn't realize how much he'd missed her. He'd missed the softness of her skin, the smell of her vanilla shampoo. But, most of all the taste of her cherry chapstick. Yeah, he was still into her. That was part of the reason why he couldn't look Michelle in the eye. The other reason was because he'd slept with Hope and felt horrible about it. Jeff watched as Michelle sat across from him, gazing deep into his eyes. Their whole relationship was based on lust and sex. Nothing else.

"I tried calling you before," Michelle said.

"I was taking care of something," Jeff replied.

"Something? Don't you mean Hope?"

"We had coffee, Michelle. It's not a sin."

"Then why couldn't you answer your phone?"

"Michaela came back. You know, my ex."

"The bitch you told me about? The one that fucked the Edgeheads?"

"The one and only."

"What did that skank want?"

"She wanted to tell me that she had a baby."

"What does that have to…No."

"Yes. I knew I shouldn't have went back to see her."

"You're a father?"

"Apparently so."

Michelle was still trying to comprehend what Jeff had told. She'd only met Michaela once and she'd seemed like a nice person. Michelle never understood why she'd cheated on Jeff. Especially with Hawkins and Ryder. It was just…horrid. But, a father? Michelle didn't want to believe it. She suddenly felt guilty about putting Jeff through hell about Hope. He was already stressed out and Michaela's presence was going to make it worse. Michelle sat behind Jeff and started to massage his neck and shoulders.

"Oh, I needed that," Jeff smiled.

"I could tell. You're way too tense, babe," Michelle replied.

"It's Michaela. She does this to me."

"Then tell her to leave you alone."

"I wanna know my own daughter."

"Always the good guy. Same old Jeff."

"Yeah, it's my curse."

Hope was surprised at how well Punk had taken the news. He was so calm about it. She'd cheated on him, less than an hour after he proposed, and he just shrugged it off. Maybe this was love. That's what love meant. Forgiving each other's mistakes. Hope smiled down at the diamond-studded ring on her finger. Yeah, this was love. But, the sex with Jeff. As amazing as it was, it couldn't happen again. They both wanted it to happen again, that much was certain. It just couldn't be. Why was Punk so forgiving? Did he have something else planned? Another devious trick?

He wouldn't dare…

No. Punk swore the trickery was off. He didn't want to hurt anyone and Hope was happy about that. Right now, the young brunette just wanted to fall asleep in her hotel bed. This was their last day in New York and she was going to miss home. The superstars were jetting out to St. Louis, Missouri the next day. No wonder why Randy had been so cocky lately. They'd be in his hometown. Hope searched her pockets for her room key and unlocked the door. When she opened the door, she saw John in bed with a half naked chick. Hope recognized her as Kellie, the barmaid from Coyote Ugly.

"John! What the hell!" Hope nearly shouted.

John and Kellie let their lips linger close together before actually pulling apart. It was like they didn't even notice Hope's existence. Well, until John looked up and saw his best friend, a somewhat disgusted look on her face. Kellie quickly pulled on her shirt, not meeting Hope's eyes. John did his best to keep from laughing. Though he couldn't hide the grin for long.

"Hope, I can explain," John started.

"Don't. I don't even wanna know," Hope replied.

"Are you sure? I have a really good explanation."

"The barmaid John? Really?"

"This isn't what it looks like.""No?"

"Okay, this is exactly what it looks like."

"Forget it. You stay here, I'm leaving."

"Are you sure? Randy locked me out of our room."

"You're impossible."

Matt finally decided to head back to his room, hoping Michaela was gone. He couldn't help but notice CM Punk. He looked a bit pissed but not on a war path. Did Hope tell him about Jeff? There was no way. Punk looked way too at ease. Punk saw Matt staring at him and headed over. He was sure Matt knew about Jeff and Hope's affair. He was one of Hope's closest friends after all. Punk was still trying to figure out why he wasn't pissed off. Okay, he _was_ pissed off but he wasn't on a war path. What'd change? Why did all of sudden not want to rip Jeff to pieces? Hope had chosen him. She could sleep with fifty other men but she was still engaged to him. That was love and it was all that mattered.

"You know?" Matt asked.

"Hope just told me," Punk replied.

"On your way to kill my brother?"

"No. Surprisingly, I have no interest in doing so."

"You really love her that much?"

"Yeah. I really do."

"You better treat her right."

"You sound like John."

"There's a difference between me and John."

"And what's that?"

"John _will_ kill you if you hurt Hope. I'll just beat the shit out you."

"Good to know."

Punk couldn't help but laugh. He knew both John and Matt were completely serious. Not that it mattered. He was being careful not to hurt Hope. Punk hated seeing her upset. It was even worse if he was the one causing her to be upset. But, that was all before he realized how in love he was. It was such an amazing feeling. Well, for him. He knew Hope was still torn, though she tried to hide it. Was he being a total dick by ignoring her problems? Probably. That didn't mean he was just going to let her go off with Jeff. No, no. She'd chosen. He didn't force her to say yes.

Matt was still shocked that Punk didn't want to kick the crap out of Jeff. He remembered wanting to rip Edge limb from limb when he'd slept with Lita. Then again, Matt didn't expect to see Jeff and Punk being all 'buddy-buddy' with each other. Though for Hope's sake, he really wished they'd try. Matt knew the chances of that were slim and nil. He probably had a better chance of getting back with Lita.

The two superstars parted ways at Matt's floor. As soon as Matt got out of the elevator, he bumped into Michaela. She smiled sweetly at him, as if nothing had happened. He glared an icy glare, folding his arms across his chest. She couldn't hide whatever she was hiding for long. Matt was determined to find out what it was. Somehow, he suspected Michaela already knew that. Of course she did. She wasn't stupid.

"I shouldn't have to apologize to _you_," Michaela said.

"Your apology is shit to me," Matt snapped.

"I made a mistake and I'm paying for it."

"Jeff will realize that you're a conniving bitch."

"Conniving. Nice word, Jughead."

"Stay away from Jeff. He doesn't need you complicating things."

"Cut the big brother shit. You're jealous."

"Jealous? Oh, don't flatter yourself. I'm done dating sluts."

Michaela slapped Matt across the face. She'd just had the sudden urge to slap him. How dare he call her a slut? Yeah, it was true and all but he had no right. Michaela returned the eldest Hardy boy's icy glare. Matt ran his tongue along his bottom lip, tasting blood. He snickered a bit as he wiped the blood with his thumb. He turned to face Michaela, his glare about a hundred times worse. He grabbed Michaela by the hair, shoving her up against the wall. Michaela winced in pain.

"You touch me again, Michaela and it will be the last thing you ever do," Matt snapped.

"Fuckin' prick," Michaela shot back.

"Goddamn slut."

Michaela flipped him off before storming into the elevator. Matt could say all he wanted. She had a plan up her sleeves and he had no knowledge of it. Yet. Michaela knew Matt was going to be watching her like a hawk. She'd have to get him to trust her somehow. Michaela wasn't going to let Matt ruin her chances of getting Jeff back. She wanted him. No. She needed him. This time she actually meant it. Now all she had to was find Hawkins and Ryder. Maybe even Edge. Yeah, she was on her way to find Edge.

Edge never expected to see Michaela when he opened the door. He stared at her in shock. Was this real? Was he dreaming? Edge reached out and held Michaela's face in his hands. She smiled up at him. Edge couldn't get over the shock. Michaela was really here, she was really right in front of him. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him into a kiss. The two grinned at each other before Michaela pushed Edge into the room, locking the door.

Hope decided to spend the night in Maria and Ashley's room. They didn't mind at all. As long as Hope told them more about her engagement to Punk. Hope didn't mind at all. Maria and Ashley were her two best friends. They were the two who she could tell anything to. And she did. But, right now Hope didn't feel like gushing about her ultra-complicated love life. If she did, she'd start thinking about Jeff. That would lead to her wanting him and that couldn't happen.

"What's wrong Hopey?" Maria asked.

"You know I hate when you call me that," Hope replied.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I've been thinking about Jeff."

"What about him?" Ashley asked.

"Everything."

"He _is_ a great guy, isn't he?" Maria grinned.

"That's the problem," Hope sighed. "He's perfect."

"Nobody's perfect," Ashley replied.

Before either Hope or Maria could reply, the three girls heard knocking on the door. The knocking was followed by Michelle McCool's voice, asking if she could talk to Hope. Maria and Ashley glanced at Hope, who simply shrugged her shoulders. Ashley yelled that the door was open and Michelle walked in seconds later. She stopped in front of Hope who had been sitting on Maria's bed. Hope didn't bother to look at Michelle. She felt that if she did she'd ending up scratching out Michelle's eyes.

"I need to talk to you," Michelle said.

"So I heard," Hope replied, unenthusiastically.

"Look, Hope. I'm sorry, okay?"

"For what? Being a conniving bitch? Putting me through hell?"

"If you had any feelings for Jeff why didn't you say something?"

"Michelle, I was only trying to make you jealous."

"You don't have feelings for Jeff?"

"Him and Matt are like my brothers. Nothing more, nothing less."

Michelle didn't say anything further. She simply waved and headed out. Maria and Ashley both stared at Hope in shock. Did she really just say what they thought she said. No. it had to be a joke. Hope didn't turn around to face her friends. She couldn't. She didn't want them to see her tears. Maria could tell that Hope was crying and rushed over to her friend, pulling her into a hug. She motioned for Ashley to come over as well. They both knew how hard it was for Hope to lie and say that she didn't love Jeff.

Jeff, with Matt's help, had made up his mind about Michaela. He was going to tell her to leave and that he didn't want to see or hear from her again. This time he sure as hell meant it. Michaela couldn't be in his life. She was a poison to him and she destroyed his confidence. She'd destroyed him. It didn't matter how she was in bed, he couldn't have her around. Did he want her around? Yes. No. Maybe. Jeff headed to where the concierge said Michaela's room was. On his way there, he'd bumped into someone. He looked up to see Kellie, the barmaid John had just slept with. The two locked eyes and stood in awkward silence for a minute or two before Kellie quickly hurried off. Jeff remained in the hallway, staring after her in shock.

"God, I've missed you," Edge moaned.

Michaela grinned as she let her lips wander along his neck, her fingers tracing the waistband of his pants. The redhead stared deep into Edge's eyes, a grin dancing on her lips. Edge grinned back at her, running his fingers through his blonde hair. He couldn't express how happy he was now that Michaela was back. But, for how long? She wouldn't give him an answer. He knew that meant she didn't come back for him. Then who did she come back for if it wasn't him? Edge laced his fingers with Michaela's, kissing her softly.

"I missed you," Michaela said.

"Why'd you come back, Mickey?" Edge asked.

"Don't, Adam. I don't wanna talk about it."

"You came back for Jeff didn't you?"

"No. I came to fix things."

"Why?"

"I don't like being the bad guy."

"Yeah. Neither do I."

"Maybe you should change. Someone will give you a second chance."

"Second chances don't matter. People never change."

Hawkins and Ryder were crawling through the vent system, doing Edge's bidding. Like that was anything new. The two of them were dimwitted at times and did whatever Edge wanted. Like, sleep with Michaela for instance. No, bad example. They'd enjoyed doing that. What they didn't enjoy was crawling around in a vent. However, there was a plus side. They'd heard Michaela was back. Maybe they'd accidentally-on-purpose spy on her. Ryder tried crawling in front of Hawkins, only to elbowed in the face.

"What the hell, Curt!" Ryder snapped.

"Stop trying to crawl on top of me. I don't go that way," Hawkins shot back.

"I just wanna get out of these damn vents."

Hawkins rolled his eyes and kept crawling. He spotted an opening vent and crawled closer. His mouth fell open at what his eyes beheld. It was Hope. In the shower. Hawkins nearly died. Finally, doing Edge's bidding had paid off. What superstar wouldn't give their life to see a Diva showering? Hawkins watched as Hope stepped into the shower, letting the water grace her skin. Behind him, Ryder let out an annoyed groan.

"Zack, you've got to see this," Hawkins said.

"See what?" Ryder asked.

"Hope. In the shower."

"In the shower?"

"Oh yeah."

"Move."

"Keep dreaming."

Ryder tried shoving Hawkins out of the way. He caught a glimpse of Hope before Hawkins punched him. The two men kept hitting and shoving each other out of the way in desperate attempts to see the young diva shower. They kept fighting each other, both men wanting to get the better view. The Edgeheads continued to fight until they heard a crack. There was a few more cracks and then the ceiling gave way, Hawkins and Ryder yelling as they fell from the vents.


	17. Chapter 17: Search for Something More

Hope's thoughts were interrupted when she heard the crash and the screams. _What the hell?_ She peeked out of shower and saw Hawkins and Ryder admiring her body. She screamed before pointing the shower head at them. The young Diva grabbed a towel and quickly wrapped it around her body, much to Hawkins' and Ryder's dismay. She glared them, dripping wet and increasingly mad. She placed her hands on her hips before uttering a single world.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Hope snapped.

"Uh, we were just, uhm…" Ryder stammered.

"Yeah, we had to…uh…" Hawkins scratched his head.

Hope rolled her eyes. She knew _exactly_ what they were doing. The next time she saw Edge she was going to give him a piece of her mind. It certainly wouldn't be pretty. Hope glared as the Edgeheads continued to check her out. She scoffed, part of her disgusted. She grabbed both Hawkins and Ryder by their throats and pushed them against the wall.

"If I _ever_ catch you two spying on me again, I'll castrate you," Hope snapped.

Hawkins and Ryder both started to mutter apologies, looks of fear on their faces. They knew if Hope really wanted to, she'd kick the shit out of them. Probably for fun. Hawkins and Ryder raced out of the room the moment Hope released them from her grip. As they ran out, Ashley and Maria came in. The two divas looked at Hope, confusion on their faces. Hope simply rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

Jeff rubbed his face with his hands, letting out a sigh. Was he going crazy? First Michaela and now Kellie. Why were his ex-girlfriends randomly showing up? Did they want to drive him even more insane? Jeff half expected to see Beth come out of nowhere. She wasn't going to. She'd made it perfectly when she'd left him at the alter that she didn't want to see him ever again. That'd killed him. Jeff looked up to see John come out of the room that Kellie had just come out of. He called after John, waiting for him to come over.

"Were you just with Kellie?" Jeff asked.

"Uhm, yeah. I was," John muttered.

"Why? Why is she here?"

"I don't know. We just talked."

"I know that look on your face."

"Face it, Jeff. Your love life is already complicated."

"Yeah. Especially with Michaela back."

"What?! She's back?"

"Yeah. Apparently I'm a father."

John opened his mouth to make a reply but no words would come out. Jeff was a father? Michaela had reproduced? John didn't know what was harder to believe. Did this mean that Michaela had changed? Not at all. John had a feeling that Jeff believed otherwise. He also had a feeling that Jeff planned on keeping this from Hope. Just when nobody thought things could get more complicated, the unthinkable happened. John could tell that Jeff was having mixed feelings. It was all in his facial expression.

"What are you gonna do about it?" John asked.

"I don't know," Jeff admitted. "I wanna know my own daughter."

"No. I meant about this whole love square you got going on."

"Love square?"

"Yeah. You, Hope, Michelle and Michaela."

"Michaela's not in the picture. I'm with Michelle."

"You still have feelings for Hope. Why are you hiding it?"

"She doesn't feel that way about me."

"She slept with you."

"That doesn't change the fact that she's still engaged."

"She wants you to fight for her."

Jeff stood in the center of the ring, his game face on. He had a match against Randy now. It was basically due to the fact that Jeff had gotten so sick of Randy's constant whining about the WWE Championship. Besides, Jeff knew that a match would get his mind off of other things. Except when he looked into the crowd, he saw Michaela sitting in the front row. Jeff gritted his teeth, awaiting the sounds of Randy's music. The sound of Randy's new song played and a chorus of boos erupted throughout the arena. Jeff couldn't help but smirk. Lately, Randy was being booed no matter what he did.

The Legend Killer dove into the ring, stepping up to the Rainbow Haired Warrior. The two superstars stood face to face, glaring at each other. The moment the bell rang, Randy punched Jeff in the face and started with his offense. The match continued with the whole left, right, left, right punches for a while. Until Jeff lost his focus. He'd caught a glimpse of Michaela and she'd blown him a kiss. Jeff paused, staring at her. The next thing he knew, Randy hit the RKO and he was on his back getting pinned.

"Here is your winner…Randy Orton!"

The crowd booed as Randy stood victorious. They booed even more when Randy started to kick Jeff in the gut. The boos turned to cheers when Hope's music played and the brunette rushed to Jeff's side. Randy attempted to kick Jeff again but Hope grabbed his leg and shoved him to the ground. The Legend Killer glared at her before sliding out of the ring. Jeff was on his knees, doubled over in pain. Hope helped him out of the ring and into the back. She knew exactly why Randy had attacked Jeff after the match.

"Are you okay?" Hope asked.

"I feel like Orton hole into my gut," Jeff replied.

"No hole. Just a lot of pain and bruises."

"Thanks for coming out."

"What are friends for?"

There was that dreadful word again. Friends. It still felt like a knife to the chest. No. It was so much worse than that. Jeff let his hands linger on Hope's hips, moving his body closer to hers. They backed up against the walls, their faces only inches apart. Jeff resisted the urge to kiss Hope. He knew couldn't. As Hope wrapped her arms around his neck, Jeff caught a glimpse of her engagement ring. He took a deep breath as he rested his head on her shoulder. Jeff couldn't help but let his hands circle Hope's body, wishing that she was his and only his.

Hope looked up accidentally catching Jeff in a kiss. As he went to kiss her again, she pushed him away. The two locked eyes as Jeff's hands resumed their place on Hope's hips once more. No words were needed between the two. The look in theirs eyes said it all. Hope reached up, letting her fingers linger on Jeff's lip ring. Jeff closed his eyes, letting her touch sink in. he felt her other hand on the back of his neck and nearly died. Her touch was too much. This shouldn't have been happening. Jeff couldn't fight the urges anymore. He pulled Hope into a kiss, sliding his tongue into her mouth. His tongue brushed against, exploring the dark places before she pulled away. Defeated, Jeff let her rest her head on his shoulder.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear.

Jeff couldn't believe what he'd just heard. She said she loved him. Before he could make a reply, CM Punk came over to them. He gave Jeff a somewhat friendly smile, purposely ignoring the fact that the Rainbow Haired Warrior had his arms around _his _fiancée. Jeff quickly pulled away from Hope, not daring to meet her eyes. Hope linked her arm with Punk's as she kissed him, smiling that smile of hers. Jeff hated how perfect Punk and Hope seemed. Why couldn't he have that with Michelle? Or with Michaela? It didn't seem fair. Regardless, seeing Hope happy was a good thing.

"What's going on?" Punk asked.

"Nothing. We were just talking."

"Then why is she crying?"

"Phil, don't. I'm fine," Hope interjected.

"What happened?"

"Randy doesn't know how to mind his business."

Hope kissed Punk goodbye and turned to Jeff. She looked him in the eye and her whole body froze. She quickly hurried off, not able to face him. Jeff still had hundreds of thoughts going through his head. Hope had said she loved him. She'd said it in present tense. Not past. That was a good thing, right? Jeff turned to make his exit as well when Punk grabbed his arm. Punk looked Jeff in the eye, knowing exactly what he was going to say. It had to be said now.

"What's with the two of you?" Punk asked.

"What do you mean?" Jeff countered.

"You guys hardly talk. Is it because of me?"

"I think so."

"I don't want that. You guys are friends."

"I didn't think you wanted me around her."

Hope was making her way to the women's locker room when someone bumped into her. She saw a tuft of red hair and instantly knew that it was Jeff's ex Michaela. Hope couldn't hide her glare even if she wanted to. She couldn't help it. There was just too much hatred. Michaela glared at Hope, unaware of who she was. The two girls eyed each other up and down, neither one daring to break the stares. Hope didn't want to start anything but she was itching to know why Jeff's ex had resurfaced. Maybe it only bothered her because of how great her feelings were for Jeff. Or maybe she just knew how bad it hurt when someone cheated on you.

"You must be Michaela," Hope mused.

"And who the hell are you?" Michaela demanded.

"First off skank, cut the attitude."

"Make me, you little whore."

"Don't push me."

"Whatever. I've got better thins to do."

"Stay away from Jeff."

"Oh, _you're_ Hope. I expected someone prettier."

"Well, he dated you didn't he?"

Michaela was ready to punch Hope when Matt pretty much shoved her away. He put an arm protectively around Hope, know she was lethal when she was pissed. Hope shoved Matt's arm away only to have him put his arm around her again. She supposed it was a good thing. She didn't want to end up in a catfight. At least not at the moment. Michaela stepped up to Hope and Matt, her glare becoming more vicious.

"This isn't over," Michaela snapped.

"Of course it's not. I didn't win," Hope shot back.


	18. Chapter 18: Never Give Up

**Sooo. I love all of you that reviewed. Really, I do.  
I don't own any of these amazing wrestlers. I wish I did.  
I DO own Hope. She's my girl. I do NOT own Kellie.  
She's the creation of my friend Lindsay.**

* * *

John felt miserably guilty. He saw the devastated look on Jeff's face when he'd slept with Kellie. But, it was just like with Hope. They'd gotten so unbelievably drunk. Neither one could stand on their own. But, the look on Jeff's face said it all. John was never really good at dealing with guilt. Especially when it came to friends. He knew Jeff and Kellie were completely over, so why did that look make John feel crappy? Probably because lately, everything made him feel crappy. He dialed Hope's number, knowing his best friend would be able to cheer him up.

Too bad it went straight to voicemail. Right now, John just wanted to talk to someone. He was actually a bit jealous of Hope. She'd found someone. Well, two people. But, still. that's what John wanted. To love and be loved. Not that he'd ever admit it. It was pretty cheesy but that didn't change how he felt. John left Hope a short voicemail and tossed his phone onto the chair across from him. He rested his on his arms, laying on the bed. He needed to think for a while.

"What's with you?" Matt asked.

"Hope said she loves me," Jeff answered.

Matt tilted his head to the side, not sure if he'd just heard his younger brother correctly. The look on Jeff's face said it all. It was a look of pain. And not the kind of pain from Randy Orton kicking your gut in. Matt would know. Jeff sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Matt knew he was still in shock from Hope's little confession. Who could blame him? Matt decided to get his mind off it.

"Hey, did you know Kellie's here?" Matt asked.

"Yep," Jeff replied.

"Did you know she slept with John?"

"I'm taking a walk."

Jeff didn't want to hang around and talk about his ex-girlfriend's sex life with Matt. Or with anyone, for that matter. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts for a while. Maybe he'd get enough courage to end things with Michelle. Unfortunately, Jeff wasn't going to get his time alone with his thoughts. He ran into Kellie. This time she didn't run off. Although, it was pretty awkward.

"Hey," Jeff was the first to speak.

"Hi," Kellie replied, looking up at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just…visiting."

"You slept with John?"

"We were drunk."

"I don't care. I was just asking."

"What's on your mind, love?"

"Just one of the Divas that I fell for."

"Hope. Yeah, John mentioned that."

"Of course he did."

"Ya want my advice?"

Jeff wasn't sure what he wanted. Nobody's advice seemed to help him. This was a situation he had to work out on his own. Too bad he couldn't. he was too much of a nice person to steal Hope from Punk. He'd find some other way to get the girl of his dreams. He just had to. But, first Jeff had to end things with Michelle. She'd probably kill him but he didn't want to string her along anymore. Jeff turned back to Kellie, looking her directly in the eye. He nodded his head slowly.

"Yeah. I need advice," Jeff said.

"Fight for her," Kellie replied.

Kellie pulled Jeff into a hug. Jeff smiled to himself, feeling a bit better. As he hugged Kellie back, he was unaware that Hope was coming down the hallway. She paused, just staring at Kellie and Jeff. Kellie locked eyes with Hope, noticing the look on her face and pulled away from Jeff. It was too late. Hope had already darted off. Jeff gave Kellie a quizzical look and she simply waved him off. She said a quick goodbye and left Jeff standing alone once again.

Hope had a surprise for Punk, one that he was going to enjoy. She was kind of freaked out that he was being so nice to Jeff. Did John talk to him again? She wasn't sure. Hope appreciated Punk actually being nice but it was kind of creepy. Did he know something she didn't? No. That wasn't possible. Or maybe Punk decided to give up the whole tug-o-war game with Jeff. That wasn't it either. Hope knew Punk didn't give up. She wasn't going to worry about something she didn't know for sure.

Punk unlocked the door to his hotel room, stealing a short glance at Hope. He did a double take when he realized his fiancée was clad in only a bra and boy shorts. The straight edge superstar grinned, moving towards Hope. The brunette waved a pair of handcuffs in front of Punk, who grinned mischievously. She pulled Punk into a kiss, letting her lips linger near his.

"What are you up to?" Punk asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Hope grinned.

"I'm liking it already."

She got on top of Punk, kissing him as she handcuffed him to the bed. Punk kissed her back, moving his hands around her chest and down her back. He started getting more and more rough as he sucked on Hope's skin ever so gently. Hope pulled of Punk's shirt and then his jeans, kissing his chest with her soft lips. Punk reached into the mini fridge, next to the bed and pulled out a can of whipped cream.

He sprayed some on an unsuspecting Hope and started laughing. He licked the whipped cream off of her olive skin as she did the same to him. This was good. Punk wasn't thinking about the feud with Jeff or anything other than Hope. Neither one could've been happier as they fooled around in bed. Hope kissed Punk's chest, her lips lingering on his skin. Punk ran his fingers through Hope's hair, feeling her bite gently on his nipple rings. For the strangest reason, it made him hot.

"Someone's feeling kinky tonight," Punk laughed.

"You have no idea," Hope whispered, resuming her biting.

When Jeff got back to his hotel room, Michaela and Michelle were fighting. The two women were punching and kicking each other. Michelle was on top of Michaela, punching her face in. Jeff saw Matt in the corner, reading a magazine as he tried to hide his grin. He rolled his eyes at his older brother and pulled Michelle off of Michaela. Jeff stepped between the two, knowing they'd want to get at each other's throats again.

"What the hell is going on?" Jeff asked.

"Why don't you ask your skank girlfriend?" Michaela snapped.

"Drop dead, you whore!" Michelle shot back.

"Michaela, just leave. Michelle, we need to talk," Jeff interjected.

Michaela pressed her lips against Jeff's before she left. Jeff didn't make a single move. He tried swallowing the lump in his throat. Michelle knew what Jeff wanted to talk about. She just didn't want to believe it. The couple avoided each other's gaze, not wanting to talk. Jeff rubbed the back of his neck, looking at Michelle. She still wouldn't meet his eyes. Not that he could blame her.

"Michelle…" Jeff started.

"Don't say it," Michelle whispered.

"I can't string you along anymore."

"You'd rather be miserable alone?"

"I don't wanna hurt you."

"You already did."

The following week on Raw, Randy Orton had taken over the mic. Needless to say, he wasn't happy about how Hope had shown up to save Jeff. The Legend Killer planned on getting her back. That was why he was standing the middle of the ring, microphone in hand. He started pacing back and forth before speaking. You could see the anger, the fire in his crystal blue eyes. Randy brought the mic to his lips. The crowd started to boo almost instantly. Actually, they were booing from the start.

"Some people…shut up! Some people don't know how to mind their own business," Randy started. "Those people need to be taught a lesson. So, Hope, why don't come down here and I'll teach _you_ a lesson."

Randy continued to rant, motioning towards the titantron as he awaited Hope. He knew she'd come out. She never turned down a fight. That was the one thing he knew for sure. Randy was getting overly anxious when he finally saw Hope coming to the ring. The fans thought this was just a storyline. It wasn't. That's why her music hadn't played. Hope stopped right before the steel steps, a mic in her hand.

"_You're _gonna teach _me_ a lesson, Orton?" Hope laughed. "I don't think so."

Hope stepped into the ring, face to face with Randy. The two dropped their mics, their faces only inches apart. Randy was still going on about how Hope should mind her own business and that she shouldn't have interfered last week. Hope's only response was that Randy should grow a pair of balls and get over it. That's when Randy lost his cool. He slapped Hope hard across the face, shocking The King and J.R.

"Did Orton just do what I think he did?" J.R. asked, still in shock.

"I can't believe he did," King replied. "Wait a minute. Is Hope laughing?"

The King was right. Hope _was_ laughing. Randy gave her this confused look before slapping her again. This time Hope didn't laugh. She shot a glare at Randy and hit him with a roundhouse kick. The Legend Killer fell to the mat as Hope started punching his face in. This wasn't exactly what Randy had planned, getting his ass kicked by a Diva. Randy managed to get to his feet and let out his offense. Hope turned her back for not even a second and The Legend Killer saw his opportunity. He hit Hope with the RKO, knocking her out cold.

The crowd booed even more as Randy dropped down next to Hope and started whispering in her ear. No one expected Randy to get that violent with Hope. He was ready to continue the attack when he saw Jeff running into the ring. The Legend Killer darted out of the ring and into the crowd. Jeff knelt next to Hope for a moment before holding the ropes open, motioning for Randy to come back and fight him. Naturally, Randy was halfway out of the crowd. Jeff turned back to Hope's unconscious body.

John had seen the attack from backstage. Punk had just left the arena, wanting to stop at Dunkin' Donuts. John really hoped that he hadn't gone too far. Punk was going to be super pissed. About the attack and about Jeff. Either way it wasn't ending well. As John headed into the parking lot, he saw Punk pulling away. When Punk noticed John, he stopped his car. He rolled down the window as John leaned in.

"Dude, I thought you didn't want a donut," Punk said.

"I don't. That's not what this is about!" John replied.

"Are you sure? You said you were hungry about an hour ago."

"That's not important now."

"John, I'm going out for food. I don't mind."

"I don't want a donut."

"Last chance, John."

"Enough with the fucking donuts!"

"Geez, you don't have to get an attitude."

"I'm this close killing you, Punk. Just listen to me."

"Fine, fine. What is it?"

"It's about Hope."

"What's wrong? Is she okay?"

"No. Randy just RKO'd her."

Punk lost it. He threw open his car door, accidentally knocking John in the head. That didn't stop him. He stormed back into the arena, watching the attack on one of the computers. When the screen showed the present events, Punk was slightly angered by the fact that Jeff was carrying his unconscious fiancée to the back. Although, he was glad that Randy wasn't able to continue his attack. Punk quickly found Jeff and shoved him away from Hope, who was starting to regain consciousness. Jeff fought the urge just to punch Punk. Right now, he just wanted to make sure Hope was okay.

Hope moaned, opening her eyes. She tried to sit up but Punk kept telling her to lie down. Her neck was in excruciating pain. She never realized how painful an RKO was. Now she knew first hand. Hope smiled, fully realizing that both Jeff and Punk were by her side. She also realized that Punk was glaring daggers at Jeff. She sat up, putting a hand on Punk's shoulder. He turned to her.

"You should really lie down, Hope," Punk said.

"Don't. I see the way you're glaring at Jeff," Hope replied.

"I'm not glaring at Jeff. I'm pissed about what Orton did to you."

"I'm not an idiot, Phil."

"If I was pissed at Jeff, I would've punched him already."

"He has a point there," Jeff interjected.

Hope locked eyes with Punk, not really believing him at first. She looked at Jeff, then back at her fiancé. She could tell both men were telling the truth. Punk saw Ashley and Maria coming down the hallway and motioned for them to come over. Both Divas had heard about what Randy did to Hope. Needless to say, they weren't happy.

"Hope, I think you should get some rest," Punk said, before turning to Ashley and Maria. "Could you guys take her back to the hotel?"

"Sure thing, Punk," Ashley replied.

She and Maria took Hope by the arm and started leading her away from Punk and Jeff. Maria had a feeling that Punk was going to off on Jeff. Hope waved to both men before resting on Maria and Ashley. Punk and Jeff watched the three Divas leave. Once they were out of earshot, Punk turned to Jeff. The anger was building up in his eyes. It took all he had not to just punch Jeff. The two superstars locked eyes.

"I'm not sure if I should be grateful or pissed," Punk started.

"Oh, right. I'm sorry. Next time I'll just leave Hope unconscious in the middle of the ring and let Orton do whatever he wants," Jeff replied, sarcastically.

"I'm trying _so_ hard not to kill you because you're Hope's friend."

"Are you being intentionally dense?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm in love with Hope and I'm gonna steal her from you."

"Oh, you're funny. That's not gonna happen."

"Just wait and see, Punk. I'll make Hope mine."


	19. Chapter 19: This Means War

**Thanks for the reviews! I love all of you guys! You all make me want to keep writing.  
Unfortunately, I DO NOT own any of the wrestlers. I DO own Hope. She's my chick.**

* * *

Back at the hotel, Hope had ventured away from Maria and Ashley. Her neck still hurt but she'd wanted to take a walk. Maybe then she'd be able to work out her feelings. Hope thought she'd be focusing more on Punk. She thought after last week her feelings for Jeff wouldn't be so strong. But, just knowing that he was the first one by her side after the RKO made her fall even harder. It was so crazy. As Hope kept walking she noticed Zack Ryder playing with a baby. Curious, Hope made her way over to them. She had a feeling she knew whose daughter the baby was.

"C'mon, Jessica. Come to Daddy," Ryder smiled as the little girl waddled to him.

"Daddy?" Hope echoed, standing next to Ryder.

"Oh, uhm…yeah. She's my daughter."

"So why is Michaela convincing Jeff that it's his daughter?"

"Because she wants to use and abuse him again."

"And you're okay with that?"

"This is the only time I get to see Jess."

"She never lets you see your own daughter?"

"That's how Michaela is. She gets what she wants."

"You can't let her push you around."

"Yeah. She's almost as bad as Edge."

Ryder and Hope both laughed. Could anyone really be worse than Edge? Well, Michaela wasn't really Hope's favorite person. Especially after what Ryder just told her. It made her want to kill Michaela even more. She knew Ryder actually had somewhat of a brain but he let too many people push him around. Edge was one thing. But, Michaela? What she was doing to Ryder was just plain horrible. How could she not let him see his own daughter? Why did she want to keep using Jeff?

"You look ready to kill," Ryder said.

"Yeah, well. I'm not a happy person today," Hope replied.

"Because of that RKO?"

"That's one reason."

"I gotta take Jess back to Michaela. I'll see ya around."

Hope waved as Ryder headed off with his daughter. The brunette tapped a finger to her chin, a few plans formulating in her head. Should she tell Jeff the truth? He deserved to know. But, would it end up hurting Ryder? Maybe. Hope didn't want that. She wanted to help both Ryder and Jeff. A hit man was out of the question. Hope made her way back to Ashley's suite, surprised her friends hadn't come after her yet. Ashley and Maria both saw the look on Hope's face. The three Divas all knew something was going down between Punk and Jeff. There just wasn't anything they could do about it. Punk and Jeff weren't going to end their feud anytime soon.

"You okay, Hope?" Maria asked, stroking Hope's hair.

"No. I keep wanting him more and more," Hope replied.

"Well, duh. He's your fiancé."

"I don't mean Punk. I mean Jeff."

"You have to forget him. You're with Punk," Ashley said.

Hope laughed, "It's not that easy."

"It is. You're just making it harder."

"Every time I see Jeff, I want to kiss him."

"You can't think like that anymore."

"We'll help you," Maria said.

She knew that Jeff was struggling with the same problem. The bubbly Diva had also heard that he'd ended things with Michelle. Maria knew that meant he planned on stealing Hope away from Punk. She had to stop him from doing that. That wasn't going to be easy. Maria would probably have an easier chance of convincing Punk to lay off Jeff for a while. Hope looked at her best friend and knew she was planning something. Would be a good thing or a bad thing? With Hope's luck, it would end up bad.

To say that CM Punk was angry would be an understatement. Now he was sure of it. Jeff was after Hope. Did he really expect to steal her away from Punk? That wasn't going to happen. He'd make sure of it. But, now Punk was on a war path. He knew he had to calm down before he looked for Hope. For the strangest reason, he wanted her to think that everything was perfect. Why? Because it'd be easier for him to manipulate her. Somehow he'd convince Hope that Jeff was the bad guy. How? Well, Punk still needed to think of some crazy, elaborate plan.

The problem was that Hope was stubborn. She made up her own mind and hardly ever changed how she felt. How was Punk supposed to make Hope hate Jeff? He'd find a way, he had to. CM Punk wasn't backing down. Not now, not ever. Not when there was a possibility he could lose Hope. But, wait. If she really wanted to leave him for Jeff, wouldn't she have done it already? Yes. She would've done it a long time ago. But, now Punk had a plan. Would Hope believe it? She was naïve enough to believe him.

That was it. Suddenly the light bulb went on in Punk's head. He knew exactly what he planned on telling Hope. It wasn't exactly a lie. He was just bending the truth a bit. Not that anyone would find out. And if they did? Well, he was crafty. He'd think of something. He always did. Punk smiled when he saw Maria coming towards him. She had a determined look on her face that he found quite adorable.

"Can we talk?" Maria asked.

"Of course. What's up?" Punk replied.

"It's about Jeff."

"Hope tell you to come talk to me?"

"No. I don't like this war you two have going on."

"Maybe Jeff should stop trying to steal Hope from me."

"You two might be engaged, but you don't own her."

"Maria, why don't you just mind your own damn business?"

"I don't even know who you are anymore. You changed."

Jeff knew stealing Hope away from Punk wasn't the right thing to do. But, he couldn't hold in his feelings anymore. He didn't want Hope. He _needed_ her. Yeah, it was that bad now. Hopefully, Punk wouldn't be on his way to see Hope now. Jeff didn't want to get into a fight. At least not at the moment. Right now, he only wanted to feel Hope's soft skin against his. He smiled to himself just thinking about it. His thoughts broke when he collided with someone. Jeff frowned when he saw Michaela's flawless face. She grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Jeff felt his body immediately tense up.

"Don't touch me," Jeff muttered.

"You want me," Michaela whispered.

Jeff closed his eyes, praying that Michaela would just go away. No such luck. Michaela pulled Jeff into a kiss. The Rainbow-Haired Warrior found himself kissing her back. Why did she have so much power over him? Jeff kissed Michaela, letting his tongue maneuver it's way around her mouth. Despite what he said, he actually missed her. Michaela grabbed Jeff by the shirt, leading him back to his hotel room. She was going to get her way with him and he knew it. He couldn't resist her. They both knew that.

Michaela pushed Jeff onto the hotel bed, taking off his shirt. She kissed his neck, moving her lips down to his chest. She was in control and that was how she'd always liked it. Michaela knew that Jeff wouldn't push her away, wouldn't try to stop her. They both knew that. Jeff wanted to push her away but he couldn't. He wanted her too much. It actually made him sick. How could he always let her manipulate him like this? Jeff moaned when he felt Michaela go down on him.

After Matt had a talk with John, making sure that Hope was okay, he'd hit the hotel's gym. When Matt was sufficient with his workout, he decided to call it a night. On his way up to his hotel room, he bumped into Randy Orton. Randy tried to hide a groan, suspecting Matt was going to hurt him. Jeff and Punk had already beat the hell out of him. Even Ashley and Maria had jumped him. But, the Legend Killer knew John was the one he should worry about. Which was why he was avoiding going back to his hotel room.

"If you're gonna hit me, Hardy, just do it," Randy snapped.

"Hit you? No. I'll let Hope destroy you," Matt shot back.

"Maybe the both of you should mind your own business."

"Just watch you back, Orton."

Matt pretended to punch Randy and laughed when the Legend Killer flinched. He unlocked the door to his hotel room, turning the light on. Matt was beyond shocked when he saw Jeff in bed with someone. He was even more shocked when he noticed that it was Michaela. The two were sound asleep, their bodies close together. It kind of made Matt want to vomit. Kind of? No, it totally made Matt sick. He scoffed at his brother's sleeping body, wondering how Jeff got himself into this.

"Introducing first from New York City…She is the Women's Champion…Hope!" Lillian announced.

Hope made her way to the ring to a chorus of cheers, the Women's Championship belt draped over her shoulder. She was versing Melina for the title tonight. Not that it mattered. Hope didn't mind. Melina wasn't intimidate her. Even if she did, Hope never backed down. She certainly wasn't going to start now. The brunette awaited the sound of Melina's cheesy music. Surprisingly, Melina didn't do her usual entrance. _Thank God_, Hope thought. Melina dove into the ring attempted to spear Hope. Naturally, Hope anticipated Melina and sidestepped the move. Melina ended up spearing the turnbuckle.

Hope grinned at Melina's pain, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her to her feet. Melina kicked Hope in the face before climbing to the top rope. She was all ready to jump off the top rope when Hope suplexed her. This was the end. Hope had hit her finisher and was prepared to pin Melina. Randy Orton came out from the crowd and dove into the ring. He waited for Hope turn around and he RKO'd her. Thanks to a distraction from Melina, the referee never saw Randy's interference. Melina quickly pinned Hope for the three-count. Randy raised Melina's arm in victory.

"Here is your winner and the new Women's Champion…Melina!"

Melina smirked down at Hope, watching the former champion hold her neck in pain. Hope managed to get to her knees before Melina cracked her in the head with the Women's Championship belt. Melina and Randy started attacking Hope. The Legend Killer held Hope back while Melina kept punching her until her lip and nose started to bleed. Randy let Melina hold Hope back. He mouthed the words 'This is payback, bitch'. Hope spit blood in his face. Angered, Randy started kicking Hope in the gut.

Hope fell to her knees when Melina let her go. Her neck and stomach were both in excruciating pain. Randy didn't hesitate to continue his attack on the helpless Diva. Hope was on the verge of tears when Michelle McCool's music blasted. Michelle ran into the ring, spearing Melina. Randy dove into the crowd before Michelle had a chance to get to him. Michelle helped Hope to her feet, leading her out of the ring. Hope mouthed that Melina should watch her back.

Michelle could tell that Hope was beyond pissed. She didn't blame her. Where the hell was Punk? Why didn't he come out to help his fiancée? It didn't matter. Hope thanked Michelle for her help before storming off Vince's office. Vince was in a meeting with Teddy Long and Vickie Guerrero when Hope stormed in. The brunette held an icepack on the back of her neck, glaring viciously. The three general managers stopped their conversation, waiting for the angry Diva to say something.

"I want a match with Orton," Hope demanded.

"Excuse me," Vickie snapped in her usual obnoxious voice. "Can't you see we're in the middle of a meeting?"

"Oh, why don't you go give Edge a blowjob?"

Vickie scoffed, insulted by the remark. Teddy Long did his best to conceal his laughter, as did Vince. Vince asked Vickie and Teddy to leave his office just for a few minutes so he could deal with Hope. Teddy had no problem with that. Vickie, on the other hand, was infuriated. So what else was new. Vickie stormed out after Teddy, shoving past Hope. Vince motioned for Hope to sit down and shut the door. Hope shut the door but she refused to sit down. She was way too angry.

"I want a match with Orton," Hope repeated.

"I'm sorry, Hope. I can't do that," Vince replied.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because you're a Diva. I can't have my Divas fighting Superstars whenever they please."

"You don't think I can take him?"

"I didn't say that."

"I wasn't scheduled to lose my title!"

Hope hadn't meant to yell. It'd just happened. When she was angry, she yelled. Simple as that. She couldn't help it. Even if she could, she probably wouldn't. Right now, all Hope wanted to do was rip Orton limb from limb. Vince could sense the anger in Hope's and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to tell her why she'd lost her title to Melina. But, he knew he had to. Hope would rip _him_ limb from limb if she found out from someone else.

"Right before your match, Randy asked to interfere and help Melina," Vince started. "He wouldn't leave, so I said yes just to shut him up."

"That's all the more reason to let me have this match," Hope argued.

"Hope, I'm not scheduling this match. I can't risk you getting injured."

"Injured? That's what you're worried about? It won't happen."

"You're not getting the match. End of story."

"Oh, I getting my match with Orton. It doesn't matter if you agree to it or not."


	20. Chapter 20: A Woman Scorned

**Thanks for the reviews! I love all of you guys! You all make me want to keep writing.  
Unfortunately, I DO NOT own any of the wrestlers. I DO own Hope. She's my chick.  
KaraAlissa-Don't worry. Punk certainly won't end up with Maria again.  
I have different plans for her. ( Read & review!**

* * *

CM Punk checked his watch again. Where was Hope? She'd agreed to meet up with him right after her match. What was taking her so long? Punk heard footsteps and looked up, assuming it was Hope. A frown crossed his lips when he saw Jeff. He turned away from the Rainbow Haired Warrior, resisting the urge to beat the holy hell out of him. Punk had a feeling Jeff wasn't going to give up so easily. Not that he could blame him. He wasn't giving up either. The problem was that Punk knew that Jeff could seduce Hope away from him. That's what he was afraid of. He was on the verge of losing his fiancée. It actually scared the holy hell out of him.

"What the hell do you want, Hardy?" Punk snapped.

"Just wanted you to know that your dear fiancée is on a war path," Jeff shrugged.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Orton RKO'd her again, causing her to lose her title."

"Oh boy. She's pissed."

"That's an understatement."

Punk hated to admit that Jeff was right. He knew Hope was beyond pissed. He also knew that it would be safer to stay far away from Hope. At least until she got her revenge on Orton. Knowing Hope, that would be soon. Punk looked back at Jeff, glaring at him. He still didn't trust Jeff. By the looks of it, Jeff was already plotting something. Punk could see it in his eyes. It made Punk want to lunge at him and kill him.

"Oh, and stay away from Hope," Punk spat.

"Not happening," Jeff fired back.

After leaving Vince's office, Hope had managed to calm herself down a little bit. She took another deep breath, not wanting to flip out on anyone else. The brunette still planned on getting her revenge and she knew just who would be more than happy to help her. The former Women's Champion grinned when she finally spotted Cryme Tyme. Shad and JTG both noticed Hope's conniving grin and knew she was up to something. Whatever it was, they'd be happy to help.

"Yo yo yo, Hope," Shad greeted her. "What can we do for you?"

"Vince wouldn't let me have a match with Orton," Hope replied. "But, I'll still be getting my match."

"What do you need us to do?" JTG asked.

"I want you to rough up Orton and drag his sorry ass to the ring."

"You want us to destroy him?"

"No. That's my job. I just wanna make sure he shows up."

"We got this, Hope. Don't worry," Shad nodded.

Hope grinned maliciously watching Cryme Tyme head off. Randy would be in for one hell of a surprise tonight. She was going to teach him a lesson that he should've learned a while ago. Hope turned to walk off when she saw Jeff coming towards her. She smiled, waving at the Rainbow-Haired Warrior. Jeff could tell that Hope already had something planned. He knew her too well. Would she tell him what she was planning? Probably not. Honestly, part of Jeff didn't want to know. Hope could be quite lethal.

"I know you," Jeff grinned. "You've plotted something evil."

"Just teaching Orton a lesson," Hope replied.

"You sure you wanna do this?"

"Don't even think about stopping me."

"I wouldn't dare."

Unlike most, Jeff knew not to piss Hope off if she already angry. She'd probably kill you. And she'd do it simply for fun. Jeff was starting to feel bad for Randy. Hope wasn't going to show any mercy. Just a lot of pain. He had a feeling she was using Cryme Tyme to help her out. He laughed at the thought of Hope kicking Randy's ass. Then Jeff realized something. Vince approved a match between Hope and Randy? Really? He was that diabolical? Jeff looked at Hope and he knew.

"Vince didn't approve this match, did he?" Jeff asked.

"Nope," Hope muttered. "But, I'm getting my match anyway."

Before she knew it, Hope was heading down the ramp towards the ring. Her game face on and anyone could tell she was pissed. But, that didn't stop her from high-fiving her fans. No one knew who her opponent was. Not even J.R. and The King. The two announcers rattled off numerous Divas that could've been Hope's opponent. Neither one of them expected it to be Randy, even after what he did. J.R. and The King fell silent once Hope got into the ring.

"Oh boy," King said. "Either Hope's skirt is too short or she's in it too far. But, I like it."

"You're impossible. You know that?" J.R. replied.

"Any ideas on who her opponent is?"

"I talked to Hope earlier and she said we're just gonna have to wait and see."

Before The King could reply, Randy's music blasted. A cruel smile spread across Hope's thin lips. A minute went by an no Orton. The fans were going nuts, calling him out. Then, Cryme Tyme came out dragging a half-conscious Randy into the ring. Once Cryme Tyme was out of the ring, the referee signaled the bell. Randy stumbled to his feet, his lip and nose busted thanks to Cryme Tyme. He turned around and was introduced to Hope's black combat boot. The angry brunette knocked Randy to the ground, straddled him and started punching his face in.

Randy did his best to get away and hit Hope with offense. But, he was still in a daze and his mind was foggy. Hope hit him with a hurricarana and attempted a pin. She pounded her fists into the mat angrily when Randy managed to kick out. Unfortunately, that's when Randy let out his offense. He kept punching Hope, backing her into the corner. That's when he started kicking her in the gut. The Legend Killer went for the RKO but Hope countered with a DDT. Just like that Hope was back in control. With Randy pretty much laid out on the mat, Hope climbed to the top rope. She hit Randy with a diving elbow, watching him writhe in pain.

But, Hope didn't pin him just yet. She continued to put Randy through pain, DDT after DDT. Punch after punch, kick after kick. Finally, Hope hit her finishing move and put Randy in a leg lock. The Legend Killer's face showed the enormous amount of pain he was in. He tried to get to the ropes but Hope dragged his sorry ass back to the middle of the ring. Randy had no choice but to tap out. Hope bent down next to Randy.

"I told you not to fuck with me," she whispered.


	21. Chapter 21: Confessions

**I love all of you guys for reviewing this!  
All of you make my life! No lie, man!  
But, I'd appreciate it if you'd also review when  
you favorite Meant To Be or add it to your alerts.  
Thank you guys! Enjoy! -HardyxGirl.**

* * *

Randy still lay in the ring, panting heavily. His body was in so much pain. Maybe he shouldn't have crossed hope. Look where it got him. Once Hope was out of the ring, the ref helped Randy to the back. Being the arrogant bastard that he was, he shoved the ref away and stumbled to the back. The fans kept booing even after he'd left. Randy was really starting to regret RKOing Hope. Twice. What was he going to tell Sam? That he got his ass kicked by a girl? She wouldn't let him live it down. Randy shot Hope a glare as he walked past her. She really was as tough as everyone said. She'd gained his respect.

Raw was in Cameron, North Carolina this week. The superstars had gotten off the plane only a half hour earlier and Matt had already lost track of his brother. Jeff had hit some downward spiral the previous week and nothing could cheer him up. It was starting to worry Matt a lot. Jeff wasn't answering his cell phone. Matt saw Hope heading to her car and hurried to catch up with her. Maybe she'd know where Jeff was. If not, Matt didn't know who else to ask. Hope turned when she heard Matt behind her.

"Have you seen my brother?" Matt asked.

"Not since this morning," Hope replied.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Drive to my house. See if he's there."

"You got it, Matt. Stop worrying."

"Thanks. I'll try."

Hope got into her car and headed off to Matt's house. Once she got there, the door was unlocked and she assumed that meant Jeff was there. The brunette stepped further into Matt's house, calling Jeff's name. She heard a faint panting coming from the bathroom and went to check it out. Hope found Jeff sitting on the tiled floor. His head on his knees. An unopened bottle of pills sat on the sink next to him. Hope quickly understood what was going on. She sat on the floor next to Jeff, pulling him into a hug. Jeff smiled to himself, breathing in Hope's scent.

"What's going on, Jeff?" Hope asked.

"It's nothing," Jeff lied.

"Doesn't look like nothing," Hope gestured towards the bottle of the pills.

"I'm just beyond stressed. My back is killing me. I just..."

"Don't, Jeff. It's not worth it."

"Why do you make things sound so easy?"

Hope laughed, shrugging her shoulders. Jeff reached up, tucking Hope's dark brown hair behind her ear. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply when he touched her. Why did they keep pretending that they didn't feel anything for each other? It was obvious that they did. The two were both resisting the urge to kiss and just have great sex in Matt's bed. Hope never knew how to react around Jeff anymore. She couldn't control her emotions around him. She kept telling herself that she was engaged to the right man. Unfortunately, she was having trouble believing that now. Jeff looked at her with his green eyes staring into her soul, making her melt inside.

"Why?" Jeff asked. "Why'd you choose Punk over me?"

"I lost faith in you," Hope replied. "I was hoping you'd fight for me."

"Hope, I love you."

"Don't say that. Not to me."

"I need you to believe me, in me, again."

"Why did you end things with Michelle?"

Jeff looked at Hope and saw the tears forming in her eyes. This was killing her. It was obvious. There wasn't much he could do. How could he win her over? It didn't seem to be possible anymore. Jeff was ready to just give up. But, then he looked into Hope's eyes and saw how much he wanted her. _Why did you end things with Michelle?_ Jeff didn't really want to answer that. He doubted Hope really wanted to know. But, she continued to star at him, awaiting an answer. It was sickening how badly he wanted her. Jeff sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Me and Michelle, we just weren't right," Jeff said.

"Why?" Hope asked.

"You already know."

"Don't say it's because of me."

"I won't give up on us," Jeff kissed Hope's soft lips.

"You have to," Hope whispered, tears in her eyes.


	22. Chapter 22: Drafted

**I friggen' love all of you! Your reviews make me happy inside.  
But, if people don't start reviewing when they favorite, I won't  
continue Meant To Be. That is not a joke, kiddies. R&R.  
I DO NOT own the wrestlers. I DO own Hope.**

* * *

The one thing most Superstars and Divas dreaded was the WWE Draft. Other Superstars didn't care at all. Some even wanted to be drafted. So far, Mr. Kennedy was drafted to Smackdown, Paul London was drafted to ECW, Cryme Tyme was drafted to Smackdown, and CM Punk was drafted to Raw. That was only going to intensify the feud between Punk and Jeff. Currently, Jeff was versing Edge to see what brand would get the next draft pick, Raw or Smackdown? At the moment, Jeff had the upper hand. Naturally, the fans were cheering for him. But, with just one spear, Edge quickly gained control and pinned Jeff for the win. The fans booed, chanting 'Edge sucks'.

Smackdown now had the draft pick. But, who would it be? As photos of the Superstars and Divas shuffled on the titantron, the crowd grew more and more anxious. When the shuffle finally stopped, it was Hope that was now drafted to Smackdown. Jeff's face immediately fell once he saw Hope coming down the ramp, a half-hearted smile on her flawless face. This wouldn't end well. Jeff looked back at Edge and saw the cocky grin on his face. Would he really dare to try to pursue Hope? Hadn't she burst into laughter all the other times he'd hit on her? But, Edge knew how much it would anger both Punk and Jeff. Hell, it was angering Jeff even now.

At the end of the show, Jeff caught up with Hope as she was heading to the Diva's locker room. She hadn't returned any of his calls or texts. He knew it had to do with what he'd said to her. He stood by the locker room, waiting for Hope to return. He'd nearly begged her to talk to him. She said she wanted to shower and asked him to wait. Jeff grinned once he saw Hope emerging from the locker room, dressed in a pair of shorts and one of Cena's shirts. The brunette smiled at Jeff, looking him in the eye.

"Are things okay between us?" Jeff asked.

"Why wouldn't they be?" Hope countered.

"Because of what I said."

"It's too late to fight for me."

"No. It'll be too late when you say 'I do'."

"Jeff, don't do this to yourself."

Hope looked away as she felt Jeff's hands surrounding her body. She silently begged him not to make a move, knowing she couldn't control herself. But, Jeff was only hugging her. Nothing more, nothing less. But, Hope knew it was more than just a hug to Jeff. She knew she was more than a friend to Jeff. The brunette pulled away from him, staring deep into his beautiful green eyes. Jeff kept his arms on Hope's waist as he stared back at her.

"Can you do me a favor?" Hope asked.

"I'll do anything for you," Jeff replied.

"Don't make me your world."

Before Jeff could make a response, CM Punk stormed over, a fire in his eyes. He glared at Jeff, pulling Hope away from him. Hope pulled away from her fiancé, leaving both men to stare after her as she walked off. When she was gone, Punk stepped up to Jeff. There was no need for words. The fire in both men's eyes said it all. Neither one planned on backing down. This little war they had going on was all or nothing. It was like battling to the death. Punk smirked, shoving Jeff. He watched as Jeff simply glared at him. Still smirking, Punk shoved him again. This time, Jeff punched him right in the jaw.

The youngest Hardy stormed off, leaving Punk to hold his jaw in pain. He really couldn't stand dealing with Punk. But, if he got Hope in the end, it'd be worth it. If? Jeff was seriously doubting everything. Both men were treating Hope as if she was just some prize to be won. It was horrible to treat a person like that and they both knew it. _Don't make me your world_. Hope's words rung in Jeff's ears. She already was his world. That was the problem. Jeff couldn't help it. Hope was the one for him.

After Michaela, Jeff never thought he'd be open to relationships again. But, Hope had changed all that with just a smile. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. Maybe even more. The problem? Hope had fallen for Punk. Jeff knew there wasn't much he could do about that. Not if he wanted Hope to still speak to him. There was no easy way to get what he wanted. But, how could Punk lie and still get Hope? It didn't seem right.

Hope didn't mind being drafted to Smackdown. She was more concerned that Jeff and Punk were on the same brand. She knew that the feud between the two men was going to escalate. Hope was grateful to find John already waiting by her hotel room. She needed advice and it was like he already knew. He always did. Hope just needed someone to tell her that Punk and Jeff were going to be civil with each other. She knew that probably wasn't going to happen. She just wanted to pretend that it was. The brunette sat on the bed as John stood across from her, waiting for her to say something.

"They're gonna kill each other. They won't fight in front of me but now I'm gone, they're gonna kill each other," Hope frowned. "I can't deal with this."

John nodded his head at Hope's words, half-listening to what she said. He was more amused by the pictures he held in his hands. So, how was he supposed to give his best friend advice? Easy. She didn't want Punk and Jeff killing each other, so he'd promise to act as the mediator. It was an easy way to make her happy.

"John, are you listening to me?" Hope asked.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a Hooter's Girl?" John countered.

"How do you know about that?"

Hope felt her cheeks turning red. When she'd started college, she'd needed some extra money and Hooter's was the only place that would hire her. Hope finally realized that John had been looking at pictures. She tried to grab them but John held them out of her reach. He grinned, letting his dimples show. The brunette pouted, looking at John.

"You're not getting these back," John grinned. "This is blackmail."

"You're evil," Hope replied.

"You have some body though, Hope."

"Where did you get those pictures?"

"Your mom stopped by. She wanted to see how you were."

Hope sighed. Of course. She hadn't spoken to her mother in years. Not since the divorce. Hope had moved with her father to New York and lost all contact with her mother. She'd decided then that she didn't want her mother in her life. Sometimes she regretted that decision. More than she should have. Kind of like now, for instance. Sometimes she just wished she could ask her mom for advice. But, she was stubborn like her father.

"All kidding aside," John started.

"If you tell me I have a nice body again, I'm smack you," Hope cut him off.

"You should talk to your mom. She's worried about you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Can you?"

"You of all people should know."

**Can you believe guys? Meant To Be is almost halfway finished. O.o**


	23. Chapter 23: Liar, Liar

I'd thank people for their reviews but people are jerks and they decide not to review anymore. So, thank you **Hatter-Zombie.ate.your.brains** for your review. Here's chapter 23. It's kinda short, but the next will be much longer. I promise. Read and Review! -HxG.  
**Disclaimer:** I **DO NOT** own any of the wrestlers. I **DO** own Hope and Michaela.

* * *

John sighed, almost forgetting how stubborn Hope was. Of course he knew that Hope could take care of herself. She made that perfectly clear to everyone. But, John knew that one day she'd regret cutting her mother out of her life. He knew it hurt but Hope was going through worse. For now, he'd help her the best way he could. Now if only he could convince her to leave Punk. That would be a challenge. But, it was worth it. Everyone knew that Hope had feelings for Jeff. She just wouldn't admit it.

Hope looked back at John, knowing deep down that he was right. Maybe her mother could help her with her relationship problems. But, she couldn't bring herself to call her mother. She didn't want to deal with her past demons. Especially not after the last words she said to her mother. It was cruel and she knew it. John jabbed her in the ribs, forcing the young Diva back to reality.

"I was serious before," John said.

"About?" Hope asked.

"You really have an amazing body."

"You're such an asshole."

"I speak the truth."

John watched as Hope tried to fight the smile that was forming on her lips. No matter how upset she was, he'd find some stupid way to make her smile. Now his job would be to make sure that Punk and Jeff didn't kill each other. But, John secretly enjoyed watching the two men battle it out. It was amusement to him and most of the locker room. Everyone assumed Hope would end up with Jeff in the end. Actually, the Raw roster was taking bets on both men. John had his money on Jeff. That was obvious.

"Don't do it, Jeff," Matt warned.

The Hardy brothers were hanging out outside of the arena when they noticed Punk and Hope getting out of Punk's car. Jeff's fists immediately clenched as he glared at the Straight Edge Superstar. He was ready to just pummel Punk to the ground. Which was why Matt had grasped the hood of his brother's sweatshirt, making sure a fight didn't break out. At least not in front of Hope. She certainly wouldn't like that. Jeff watched as Punk grinned, wrapping his arm tighter around Hope's thin waist. He leaned in to kiss her, still looking at Jeff. The younger Hardy knew Punk was trying to make him jealous. Well, he didn't have to try too hard. Jeff was already jealous.

"Seriously. Don't do it," Matt repeated.

"Only because she's here," Jeff replied, clenching his fists harder.

"You're acting like a jealous ex-husband."

Jeff shot his older brother a glare as Hope made her way over, her arm around Punk's waist. Matt offered his most sincere smile at the pair, hoping his brother would do the same. Jeff did what he could to hide his glare. So, he focused on Hope. Well, that left him worse off. The more he stared at her, the more he wanted to kiss her. If they were alone, he sure as hell would've made a move. But, Jeff had new plans. He'd let Punk _think_ that he was giving up on Hope. And when Punk least expected it, he'd win Hope over. From the smile on Hope's face, Jeff knew it wouldn't take much to win her over.

"Gonna miss me now that I'm on Smackdown?" Hope teased, smiling.

"I'll try my not hardest not to," Jeff returned her smile.

"Liar."

"So whose ass are you gonna kick on Smackdown?"

"Whoever gets in my way."

Punk, Jeff and Matt all exchanged glances. They wanted to laugh, but it was obvious that Hope was serious. Despite her sweet nature, if you crossed Hope, you were in for it. She could kick your ass for checking her out yet she was quite naïve. Go figure. Jeff's eyes wandered from Hope's face, admiring her body. He couldn't help it. He was just drawn to her. Punk could sense Jeff's feelings and quickly pulled Hope away. Apparently, it was time to set his plan into action. He led Hope into the arena and into an empty locker room. He knew he was going to end up feeling guilty about this.

Hope raised an eyebrow, knowing Punk had something important to tell her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her into a kiss. Punk was sure she'd believe him. Maybe not at first, but she would. The Straight Edge superstar ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get the guilt to go away. But, it remained. Hope trusted him and here he was lying to her. But, it was really his fault that she was so naïve? No, it certainly wasn't. But, she was giving him that look. That innocent, doe-eyed look. That look always made Punk go weak in the knees. Even now it did. But, he was focused. He knew what he had to do, no matter how much it hurt him. And Hope.

"Baby, there's something I gotta tell you," Punk frowned.

"What? Is everything okay?" Hope asked.

"It's about Jeff."

"You're really gonna start that again?"

"No. Hope, he lied to you."

"Jeff would never lie to me."

"You ever notice the only time he shows affection towards is you is when I'm around? Or right before I walk by?"

"You're a liar!"

Hope felt the hot tears stinging her cheeks. She wanted to believe that Punk was lying to her. But, the more she thought about it, the more she believed him. Whenever Jeff would hold her, kiss her, touch her, Punk would come by right after. It couldn't always be coincidence. The timing was too perfect. Hope let Punk wrap his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest. She was pissed now. She sure as hell wasn't going to let Jeff get away with lying to her. Not a chance.

Inside the arena, Jeff had met up with John Cena and the two men headed straight towards catering. As usual, Jeff was asking for advice about Hope. John never really minded, seeing as how he wanted his best friend with the _right_ guy. It wasn't that John hated Punk. He didn't. He just didn't trust him. Especially since he was always lying to Hope. John had always told Hope that she was too naïve. She'd always tell him to shut up. Jeff looked at John, wishing there was just some magical way to get Hope. But, he knew that was only a fantasy. Just like a relationship with Hope. He looked up to find Hope heading their way. But, she looked beyond pissed. What did Punk do now?

"Uh-oh," John said.

"What?" Jeff asked.

"I know that face. That face is _not_ your friend."

Jeff raised an eyebrow as John pretty much bolted. When Hope finally approached him, he figured out why. Hope's glare was beyond lethal. She looked so hurt, so betrayed. If Punk hurt her again, Jeff was really going to bug out. Hope locked eyes with Jeff, tears still in her eyes. She really didn't want to believe that Jeff had lied to her. He was supposed to be the good guy. He wasn't supposed to lie to her. Before Jeff could say anything, Hope slapped him hard across the face. Jeff stumbled back, his lip busted.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"You lied to me!" Hope snapped.

"No. I never--"

"You were fucking using me!"

"That's not true!"

"Really? So why is it that the only times you've showed your feelings for me, Punk walked by right after?"

"Hope, don't do this."

"I never wanna see or talk to you again, bastard!"

Hope slapped Jeff once more before storming off. The Charismatic Enigma just stood there, dumbfounded. He never lied to Hope, all of his feelings for her were beyond real. How could she think it was all a lie? Then it hit him. Punk was behind all of this. But, how could she believe him? He felt so defeated. Hope hated him, he was sure of it now. Jeff made his way out of the arena. There was no reason for him to stay anymore. He wasn't even on Smackdown. Let Hope be happy. He gave up. Jeff found himself back at the hotel, knocking on someone's door. She was the last person he excepted to get comfort from. But, he needed her. At least, he thought he did.

Michaela opened the door, genuinely surprised to see Jeff. Before she could say anything, Jeff pushed her into the room, kissing her skin. He pushed her onto the bed, taking her shirt off as he got on top of her. Michaela returned all of Jeff's advances, but she couldn't help but wonder why he'd come to her. She didn't understand him sometimes. First he'd say he hated her and then he'd have sex with her. Something was hurting him. Michaela had always been able to tell. She pushed Jeff off of her, looking deep into his eyes.

"Why are you here?" Michaela asked.

"I want you," Jeff replied.

"No. You just think you do."

"You were right, Mickey. I did miss you."

"What about that girl? Hope?"

"She doesn't matter."

Michaela could tell that Jeff was telling the truth, but not because he liked it. Usually, she would've asked more questions. But, he'd come back to her. That only meant that her plan had worked. He was hers again. Well, at least until Matt found out and tried to talk some sense into his brother. Michaela had to make sure that wouldn't happen. That seemed to be a bit of a problem. She grinned as Jeff started to kiss her neck. Things were finally working out in her favor. What could go wrong?


	24. Chapter 24: Cheater, Cheater

Well, well. Meant To Be is coming to end very soon. So, I'm kinda upset about that. I get too attatched, sue me. Thanks to **Zay, I'mxAxRockstar and Hayley Jean **for their awesome reviews. It really means a lot. Read. Review. Vote on the poll.  
**Disclaimer:** I **DO NOT** own any of the wrestlers. I **DO** own Hope and Michaela.

* * *

Everything would go wrong. That was just Michaela's luck. She'd get everything she wanted so easily. But, she'd lose it just as quickly. Feeling Jeff's lips along her skin made her feel guilty for deceiving him. But, she needed him. He was the one person that understood her, the one person that she could always count on. Well, it used to be that way. Until she'd made the mistake of cheating on him. Michaela still hated herself for doing what she did. But, she'd fallen for Edge's charm. Sometimes she just wished she could go back in time. Sometimes? It seemed like she was always regretting her past actions. No matter what she did, she couldn't change the past.

* * * * *

_Michaela sat in one of the locker rooms at Monday Night Raw, waiting for Jeff to finish his match. She wanted to surprise him and she'd been getting bored at the hotel anyway. Michaela's eyes lit up when she heard footsteps coming closer. Unfortunately, it was only Edge. The young redhead frowned, going back to the book she was reading. Edge grinned at her, his eyes holding such desire. He'd been eyeing the youngest Hardy's girl ever since Jeff had brought her to WWE. Edge knew it was wrong, but he couldn't control the desire burning up inside._

"_Well, well," Edge grinned, "if isn't Hardy's little girlfriend."_

"_What do you want, Adam?" Michaela asked, not looking up._

"_Just you."_

_Edge grabbed Michaela and pulled her into a kiss. The young redhead found herself kissing him back, unable to resist his charm. Edge grinned as Michaela returned all of his advances. He was surprised at how easily he'd claimed his prize. But, he knew she wasn't exactly his. There was still the Hardy factor. Jeff wouldn't let Michaela go without a fight. He needed to plan something. (Un)fortunately, Michaela's lips along his skin was a delectable distraction. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and his desire increased._

"_I can't do this to Jeff," Michaela pulled away, suddenly._

"_You already started," Edge replied, kissing her. "So why stop?"_

_Michaela attempted to leave, but Edge pinned her against the wall. He didn't break eye contact with her as he began lifting up her skirt. There was no fighting it. Michaela knew she knew wanted Edge. She wanted him bad. But, Jeff. She never wanted to hurt him. Michaela moaned as she felt Edge's hand move up her thigh. Edge scooped Michaela up into his arms and carried her out of the arena. He had his new prize and that's all he really gave a damn about._

* * * * *

Matt hadn't been too pleased when Jeff told him that he was back with Michaela. He was even less thrilled when he heard that Jeff and Hope were no longer on speaking terms. Since his brother wouldn't tell him anything, Matt knew he'd be able to get some answers from Hope. Would he like those answers? Probably not. He waited for Hope to emerge from the women's locker room and grabbed her, nearly startling the poor girl. Matt noticed that she looked hurt and came to the conclusion that Jeff had done something.

"Spill it, Richman," Matt ordered.

"Jeff was using me," Hope pouted.

"No. There's no way…"

"Punk said that the only time Jeff ever showed his feelings was when Punk showed up."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?"

Matt opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn't find the words. He didn't believe it for a second. Jeff wasn't that kind of person. Punk had Hope so manipulated that she'd believe everything he said. That was enough to royally piss Matt off. He was ready to introduce the Straight Edge superstar to his fist. Matt noticed Hope's frown and pulled her into a hug. He could tell that she still had feelings for Jeff. As much as she tried to hide it, her eyes gave it all away.

"He's back with Michaela," Matt said.

"What?!" Hope nearly shouted.

"You crushed him, H. He had no place to turn."

"Maybe his brother should've been there for him."

"Michaela's his safety net. He trusts her."

"Whatever. He's not my problem, I'm done with him."

Matt shook his head as Hope shrugged and stormed off. Something told him that she was going to confront Michaela. That wasn't going to end well at all. Somebody was going to get hut. Physically and emotionally. Matt knew Jeff and Hope couldn't handle getting hurt again. It destroy them both. Hell, they were destroyed even now.

* * * * *

Hope honestly hadn't intended on confronting Michaela. She just wanted to forget Matt's words and everything about Jeff. But, Michaela was in the hallway as Hope went off to find Punk. She couldn't fight her feelings or how badly she wanted to beat the hell out of Michaela. Michaela shot her a look, hinting that she was waiting for Jeff. Hope took notice that Michaela was wearing Jeff's HB necklace. Something about that made her blood boil. She stormed over to the redhead and punched her in the face.

"Keep your skanky hands off of Jeff," Hope snapped.

"Sweetie, you let him go," Michaela laughed.

That's all it took for Hope to lose it. She punched Michaela again, knocking her to the ground. She kept punching, so blinded by her anger. She knew Michaela was right. Hope was the one that let Jeff go. Even when they first met, she could sense his feelings for her. She felt so stupid for seeing it in the beginning. Michaela cracked Hope across the face and she stumbled back. Hope was ready to lunge at her again when she felt someone holding her back.

"I can handle this, Hope," Ryder said, glaring at Michaela.

Hope forced herself out of his grasp, wiping the blood from her lip. She glared once more before storming off. Michaela grabbed Ryder by the shirt and pulled his body close to hers. She shoved her lips onto his before he could protest. She couldn't have him ruining her devious little scheme. She wouldn't allow. Ryder quickly pulled his lips from hers, shooting her a lethal glare.

"I'm not gonna let you use Jess for your little scheme," Ryder snapped.

"Aw, _baby_, I have custody of our daughter," Michaela grinned. "I don't have to let you see her."

"You fucking bitch…"

Before Michaela could make a reply, she noticed Jeff standing behind Ryder. From the look on his face, she knew that he'd heard their conversation. Ryder snickered and headed off. Michaela quickly moved into Jeff's arms, trying to beg for his forgiveness. Jeff shoved her away, glaring at her. He used, abused and betrayed. But, most of all he was so angry. If Michaela wasn't a woman, he would've strangled her.

"Jeff…" Michaela started.

"Leave," Jeff snapped.

"Baby, please…"

"I don't ever wanna see your face again."

* * * * *

Hope pouted as she sat across from John at one of the catering tables. He continued to shovel food into his mouth, using his blue eyes to ask her what was wrong. Hope sighed as she began picking at his French fries. She was still thinking about how she'd foolishly lost Jeff. _Stop it, Hope. You have an amazing guy_. No matter how many times she told herself that, she still felt foolish. John kicked her under the table, basically forcing her to tell him what was wrong.

"Jeff was using me this whole time," Hope frowned.

"That doesn't sound like him," John replied.

"I thought I could trust him."

"What are you gonna do?"

John had a feeling that he wasn't going to like Hope's answer. The look in her eyes said it all. She was hurt and when she was hurt, she did things she regretted. Like cutting Jeff out of her life. John really prayed that Hope was going to forgive Jeff. There was no way Jeff would actually use Hope. The whole situation just spelled Punk. John's fists clenched just thinking about what he was going to do to Punk.

"I'm done with Jeff," Hope shrugged. "I'm just gonna focus on Punk, he's all that matters to me."

"You're making a mistake, Hope!"

"And you're being an asshole!"

"You know Jeff would never hurt you."

* * * * *

Jeff needed to know so bad. What did Punk say to Hope? He needed to know. He needed to have her back. It was only a month after they'd fought. Only a month after he'd found out Michaela's secret. He sat in one of the locker rooms, weighing his options. Talking to Hope was out of the question. She wasn't returning his calls or texts. Whenever he saw her, she was wrapped up in Punk's arms, doing whatever she could to make him jealous. She certainly didn't have to try very hard. Punk walked into the locker room and Jeff saw his opportunity.

"What did you say to her?" Jeff demanded, grabbing him by the shirt.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Punk laughed.

"You had no right to lie to her!"

"Stay away from Hope, Hardy."

"You might've won this battle, Punk, but the war is still on."

Punk snapped and lunged at Jeff. He kept hitting and punching as hard as he could. Jeff returned every hit and they continued to brawl in the locker room. Punk twisted Jeff's arm behind his back, unable to control his anger. Even if he could, he didn't want to. Jeff yelled in pain and Punk could tell he was almost breaking the guy's arm. Punk glared as he let him go and watched him head off in defeat.

Jeff held his arm in pain as he walked the halls, a hundred different thoughts running through his mind. He didn't even know where he was going. His legs were just taking him places. When Jeff's thoughts broke, he smacked right into Hope. She didn't look him in the as his eyes moved over her form. They stood in an awkward silence, neither one wanting to say anything. What could be said? She wouldn't believe him.

"Hope, I need you to forgive me," Jeff said. "I'm so sorry."

"Forgiveness isn't just saying you're sorry," Hope replied. "It's something you have to mean."

"You know I mean it."

"Like hell you do."

Jeff glared at Hope, shoving her up against the wall. His hands gripped her waist as he shoved his lips onto hers. She hesitated before kissing him back and he felt all of her passion. Jeff let his lips moved to her neck and he started lifting up her shirt. Hope ran her fingers through his hair, returning all of his advances. She'd almost forgotten how much she enjoyed his touch. Hope instantly came to her senses and pulled away. She slapped Jeff across the face before running off. Jeff stood in the hallway, not sure how to react. Had things gotten worse or better? He didn't know anymore.

* * * * *

CM Punk was infinitely glad that Maria agreed to talk to him. He'd felt so bad for being so cruel to her. She was one of the sweetest people in the world and he'd snapped at her because he was jealous. Maria left the door to Punk's hotel room half open, making it clear that she wasn't staying long. The look in her eyes told him that she was still hurt. Now he felt even more like an ass.

"Maria, I'm sorry," Punk frowned. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"I was only trying to help you." Maria replied. "Lying to Hope isn't the right thing to do."

"I know. I just…I don't think when I see her with Jeff. I just do."

Maria pulled him into a hug, breathing in his familiar scent. Sometimes she missed him. For a while, they sat in silence. Punk and Maria soon found themselves talking about their relationship and how good they were together. They both admitted that sometimes they missed each other. Maria felt herself blush when Punk moved closer to her. He tucked her hair behind her ear as he leaned in, his lips slowly finding hers. Maria paused before kissing him back and putting her arms around his neck. He pushed her onto the bed, carefully pulling her shirt off. Maria returned Punk's kisses, pushing her body against his.

Hope pushed open the door to Punk's hotel room, coming face to face with Maria and Punk. They didn't notice her as they continued to moan and grind each other. Hope felt the hot tears prickle her cheeks. How could he do this to her? She looked down at the engagement ring on her finger and slid it off. She tossed it onto the table before running out of the room in tears.


	25. Chapter 25: It Wasn't a Dream

**A/N:** Heey guys and gals! Wow. Chapter 25. I can't believe it. But, that means that Meant to Be is on it's way to the end. Special thanks to **Zay, Mack, CenaCandiceFan4Life, Jeffismyhero1217, Mandy and Tiffany Minamino** for their reviews. You guys really are the best! Read. Review. Vote on the poll. Check the page. Much love!  
**OWNAGE:** Hope. She's mine. **NO OWNAGE:** Any wrestlers own themselves. **HATTER-ZOMBIE** owns Kellie.

* * *

Hope pushed open the door to Punk's hotel room, coming face to face with Maria and Punk. They didn't notice her as they continued to moan and grind each other. Hope felt the hot tears prickle her cheeks. How could he do this to her? She looked down at the engagement ring on her finger and slid it off. She tossed it onto the table before running out of the room in tears.

She kept running, not really sure of where she was going. Hope found herself in front of John's hotel room. How could Punk cheat her? With Maria, her best friend. She felt so betrayed, so hurt. How could he? Hope still didn't want to believe that it was true. Maybe she was imagining things. Maybe Punk wasn't really with Maria. Hope continued to bang on John's door, her tears so much worse.

"John, please!" Hope sobbed. "I need you. John!"

Hope sunk to the floor, burying her face in her hands. She felt strong, muscular arms engulf her and when she looked up, Matt had her in his arms. She sobbed into his chest and he did what he could to console her. He just didn't know what was going on. All he knew was that somebody had hurt Hope. Badly. But, who? Matt was sure it wasn't Jeff. He and Hope still weren't speaking to each other. Matt groaned as he realized Punk and Hope probably got into a fight.

"What happened?" Matt asked.

"I need to talk to John," Hope replied.

"He's out with Kellie."

"Punk cheated on me."

"What?"

"With Maria."

Hope slumped against the wall once again, her tears getting worse. Matt lifted her into his arms and carried her back to his hotel room. When he saw Punk again, he was really going to kill him. Hope was hysterical and he didn't know what to do. Matt sat next to her on the bed, letting her sob into his chest. He knew what it was like to have the love of your life cheat on you with your best friend. Hope looked up and caught Matt in a kiss. He started to kiss her back, finally realizing what had Jeff and Punk so addicted. Matt quickly came to his senses and pulled away.

"Don't do this, Hope," Matt said. "You're upset, you're hurt."

"Please," Hope whispered.

Matt looked into her eyes and saw how desperate she was. He knew that feeling. That's how felt when Amy left him. He was so low that he needed to be loved by anyone. Which was why he slept with Amy's sister, Alex. Matt put his hand on the nape of Hope's neck, leaning in to kiss her. She kissed him back and he could taste the pain on her lips. It really pained him to see Hope this desperate. It wasn't like her. She just wanted to forget her pain. They both knew that was impossible. But, Matt still returned her kisses and her advances, feelings her warm tears drip onto his skin.

This was wrong. It was so very wrong. But, would pushing Hope away destroy her even more? Matt was between a rock and a hard place. She was desperate. He was willing. Desperate and willing were never a good combination. But, Hope's body thrusting against his made him feel so alive. When it was over, Hope's sobbing had stopped and she'd fallen asleep. Matt just stared at her, curled up in a little ball. Now he had to find John. Hopefully, he and Kellie wouldn't be too drunk.

* * * * *

Punk sat up as he smiled at Maria, kissing her softly. His mind was only on her. Until his eyes fell upon the digital clock. Next to the clock, sitting the faux oak table was Hope's engagement ring. Punk was hit with a wave of guilt when he realized that Hope had seen them. It nearly killed him inside. He'd cheated on her. It was all starting to sink in and he felt like the biggest piece of shit. Maria kissed his neck, nibbling on his earlobe.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Hope saw us," Punk whispered.

Maria's dough eyes widened with fear. Hope saw them? No. That wasn't possible. Punk had to be kidding. Right? Maria knew by the look in his eyes that this was no joke. Punk got off of the bed, scrambling to put his clothes on. His shirt ended up inside out, but he didn't care. Hope was the only thing on his mind. How was he supposed to explain that he'd slept with her best friend? He'd lost her. Maybe even for good.

* * * * *

When Matt arrived at John's hotel room, Kellie and John were just getting back. They were wrapped up in each other's arms, smiling and laughing. Most importantly, they were sober. John was going to flip when Matt told him about Hope as it was, but if he was drunk, things would've been A LOT worse. John and Kellie broke apart when they noticed Matt standing by the door.

"Can't this wait, Hardy?" John asked. "Can't you see the pretty girl?"

"Cena, this about Hope," Matt replied.

"Is she all right? What happened?"

"Punk cheated on her. With Maria."

John's fists clenched as he punched the wall. Kellie backed away, knowing how lethal John was when he was angry. Matt headed off again, knowing that Kellie and John would follow him. When they got back to Hope, she was still curled up into a ball, but she was awake. John did his best to calm down, knowing that Hope wasn't the one he wanted to yell at. Kellie sat on the bed next to Hope, trying to comfort her.

"Poor thing," she frowned, pulling Hope into a hug.

Both Matt and John were pained by the sound of Hope's tears. And they both wanted to murder Punk. Something had to be done. Who the hell did Punk think he was? John moved towards the bed, pulling Hope into his arms. She sobbed into his chest, asking why this happened. He wished that could've given her answer. Something to make her feel better. But, nothing was going to make her feel better any time soon.

John and Matt raised an eyebrow when they heard knocking on the door. They both knew it had to be Punk. The bastard was probably looking for Hope so he could beg for forgiveness. That wasn't happening. John wouldn't allow it. He wasn't going to let Hope get hurt again. If Punk even tried anything, John was going to kick his ass. Well, no matter what, Punk was getting his ass kicked. After all, he deserved it. John opened the door, glaring at the Straight Edge Superstar.

"I need to see Hope," Punk said. "I know she's here."

"You're not going anywhere near her," John snapped.

Before Punk could protest, John and Matt jumped him. He couldn't get a hit back, considering that he was pretty much being pummeled to the ground. The three men kept fighting until Hope appeared in the doorway. She begged them to stop and Punk saw the pain in her eyes. He watched as the tears fell from her eyes, unable to find the words. She hated him. It was more than obvious.

"Hope, I'm so--" Punk started.

He didn't to finish his sentence. Hope punched him square in the jaw. She kept hitting and cursing him until John pulled her off of him. He shoved Punk out the door and slammed it shut. Hope moved back onto the bed, curling up into a ball. She asked Matt if she could room with him and his brother for a while. Naturally, he said it wouldn't be a problem. It didn't matter how Jeff would feel when he found out. John sat on the bed, stroking Hope's soft hair. She was trying to hide her tears, but he knew her too well.

* * * * *

Hope seemed to be okay when they got to the arena that night. But, Punk had a match against Edge on Smackdown. Would she be okay then? Only time would tell. Despite Hope's insistence that she was fine, John, Matt and Kellie never left her side. Part of the reason was because they knew she wanted to destroy Punk. The four sat in the back, just watching Punk's match. Since Kellie was the closest to Hope, she could feel the girl's anger. Without any warning at all, Hope broke away from the four and ran off.

They simply thought that she couldn't handle watching Punk any longer. But, they soon learned that wasn't the case when Hope ran out to the ring and speared Punk. She kept punching his face in, ignoring that Edge and referee Mike Chioda were trying to grab her. She fought them off and resumed her attack on Punk. The brunette let her former fiancé get to his feet. She told him to hit her back, but Punk shook his head. She slapped him. Nothing. Again. Punk remained adamant.

"Hit me, motherfucker!" Hope yelled, punching him.

Punk lost his cool. He slapped Hope across the face. For a minute, she just looked at him in shock. Then her anger returned. She attacked Punk again, this time more viciously. Mike managed to grab Hope by the waist and drag her out of the ring. He kept a firm grip on her waist, making sure she didn't run back as he lead her backstage. Edge followed them, shoving Mike out of the way. He pushed Hope against the wall, moving his face disturbingly close to hers.

"What the hell, Hope?" Edge snapped. "How dare you invade _my_ match!"

"It's not like you were gonna win on your own anyway," Hope shot back.

She glared at Edge before storming off. She didn't want to deal with him. Or anyone, for that matter. The young Diva just wanted to crawl under a rock and die. She felt someone link arms with her and she jumped. Her muscles relaxed when she saw Kellie.

"C'mon, let's get some drinks," the Aussie offered. "Then we can work out an adequate revenge plan."

Hope simply nodded. Once the two headed out, they saw Maria. The bubbly Diva didn't look so bubbly. The guilt was written all over her face. She felt terrible. But, that didn't change how hurt Hope was. That didn't change the fact that Maria had betrayed her best friend. Hope glared at her now ex best friend, fighting the tears that were on their way. She took a deep breath as some tears slid down her cheeks. The betrayal felt even worse now as she faced Maria.

"Hope, I'm so sorry," Maria whispered.

"You're dead to me," Hope snapped.

"It was Punk. He kept making the moves. I just--"

"Don't make excuses. You still slept with him and I hate you."

"I didn't wanna hurt you."

"But, you did."

Hope slapped Maria across the face before walking off with Kellie. Maria watched as the two left, holding her cheek. It was stinging with so much pain. But, she deserved it. The only thing on Maria's mind was fixing this mess. But, how could she do it? There was no easy way to fix something like this. It would take time. Weeks, months. Maybe even years. Hope might never forgive her. Maria was determined to not let that happen. All she had to do was convince John to convince Hope to forgive her. That wouldn't be too hard. There was always an easy way to convince John. It worked every time.


	26. Chapter 26: Harsh Reality

**A/N:** Howdy peeps! I had more updates planned, but I've been super tired lately. I can't stress this enough: **please** be patient with me if I owe you a oneshot. No one has complained yet, but I just want everyone to understand. Much love to **Zay, CenaCandiceFan4Life, Brie, Mandy, I'mxAxRockstar, Jeffismyhero1217 and whitter23** for their reviews. It really means a lot that people still like this. Read! Review! Enjoy! Peace & Love!  
**NO OWANGE:** All wrestlers own themselves. **OWNAGE:** I own Hope.

* * *

Punk was still holding his jaw in pain even when he'd gotten back to the hotel. He really didn't expect Hope to attack him. Sure, he knew John and Matt would. But, Hope? He'd really hurt her. And, he made the mistake of hitting her back. He'd just lost his cool when she punched him. That wasn't exactly going to help when he tried to win her back. Would Hope even speak to him again? It would take a lot of time, that was for sure. Punk nearly shit his pants when he found John Cena sitting in his hotel room.

"How the hell did you get in here?" Punk demanded.

"That's not important," John replied.

Punk could tell what was coming just by looking in John's eyes. He was getting his ass kicked. He didn't try to stop it. That would make things worse. He already had a black eye, thanks to Hope. There were many more in store and he knew it. Punk knew he was in for hell when Jeff found out about what happened. As Punk was deep in thought, John cracked him square in the jaw. He stumbled backwards onto the bed, shocked by the hit. John grabbed the straight edge superstar and slammed his head against the wall. He repeated this three more times.

Punk dropped to his knees, his head throbbing. His head started to throb even more when John punted him. Hurting Hope wasn't worth all of this. When he saw her face, he felt like a jerk. John punched him in the face and his nose started spewing blood. Punk looked up at John, ready for whatever came next. He didn't dare fight back. He knew it would leave him much worse off.

"If I catch you near Hope, I'll turn you inside out," John threatened.

* * * * *

Jeff slammed the door to his hotel room, not in the greatest mood. He'd just taken care of things with Michaela. For good. All he wanted to do was shower and go to bed. Jeff dropped his bags on the floor and stormed into the bathroom. Hope screamed when she saw him, covering her naked body with a tiny white towel. She'd just come out of the shower and he couldn't look away. She blushed every shade of crimson when she saw Jeff eyeing her. He let a sly grin cross his lips.

"What are you doing here?" Jeff asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hope turned around as she slipped her underwear on. She pulled on the long t-shirt Matt let her borrow before turning back to Jeff. He wanted to know why she was in his hotel room. It was a simple answer. It just hurt too much to say out loud. Hope felt the tears coming and buried her face in Jeff's arms. He did his best to comfort her, growing concerned when her tears got worse.

"Hope, what happened?" Jeff demanded.

"Punk cheated on me with Maria," Hope sniffled, looking up.

"He WHAT?!"

Hope managed a soft, musical laugh. She wasn't surprised by Jeff's reaction. She'd half expected him to disappear and beat the hell out of Punk. That was what John and Matt had done. Hope pulled away from Jeff, spreading her small body across the bed. Jeff joined her, not willing to let her close herself off. Hope attempted to push him away, but it was no use. Trying to move Jeff was like trying to move a rock. The two lay across from each other, not breaking eye contact. Jeff pushed some of Hope's dark hair out of her eyes, frowning when he saw how hurt she was.

"I'm sorry for hitting you, Hope," Jeff whispered. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"I forgive you, darling," Hope replied, softly.

"I'm here for you."

* * * * *

John mentally kicked himself for falling under Maria's spell so easily. The redhead poked her head out from under the covers, licking her lips. She pulled John into a kiss, but he pushed her away. She knew Hope wasn't the only one that she hurt. She'd hurt John as well. Even though they'd only been dating for a little over a week, Maria saw that John was crushed. She felt like a whore. The only thing she wanted was for John and Hope to forgive her.

"John, talk to me," Maria pouted. "Please."

Silence.

"John Felix Anthony Cena!"

"What the hell do you want me to say, Maria?"

Maria pouted when he raised his voice. She got out of the bed, fumbling to put her clothes on and hide her tears. John caved. That was his weakness. He hated seeing a woman cry, especially if it was his fault. That's what really killed him. He pulled the small redhead into his arms as she hesitantly rested her head on his bare chest. Even though John was hurt and angry, he hadn't wanted to upset Maria. He already knew that she felt like shit. Why make it worse for her?

"It just happened," Maria frowned. "One minute we were talking and the next we were having sex."

"Don't apologize to me," John replied, coldly. "You hurt Hope more than you hurt me."

"She won't talk to me."

"Can you blame her?"

"Not helping, John."

John frowned, knowing that she wanted him to talk to Hope for her. It wasn't that he didn't want to help her. He just knew that it would take time to fix their friendship. Hope wasn't the kind of person to just forgive and forget, though now he wished she was. Maria looked at him her doe eyes, batting her eyelashes. She had him wrapped around her manicured little finger and they both knew it.

"Can you talk to her for me?" Maria asked.

"I'll see what I can do," John grumbled.

* * * * *

About a month and a half had passed, but to Punk, it felt like years. Hope never spoke to him again. She ignored his calls and texts. When he passed her by, she jumped him. She was constantly surrounded by John, Matt, Jeff and Kellie. Punk knew better than go up against all of them. He was a lucky man considering that John hadn't killed him yet. That the single threat he got from John when he and Hope started dating: "Hurt her in any way and I'll take the greatest pleasure in ending your life". Was John serious or was he bluffing? Punk didn't really want to know. By now, he'd sunk into a state of depression.

Not that anyone seemed to care. Most didn't even speak to him anymore. It wasn't that they were all friends with Hope. They all knew that cheating was a despicable move. Even Adam, the man who stole Amy from Matt, was shunning him. And even Melina, Hope's bitter enemy, gave him the cold shoulder. Punk was done, he was giving up. Hope wasn't coming back to him and it killed him to see her coming down the hallway, latched on to Jeff like a leech.

Jeff felt Hope grip his waist tighter as they passed Punk. Even after a month, she was still devastated and it killed him. He and Matt took turns consoling her, though she slept in Matt's bed. Jeff knew he wouldn't be able to handle sharing a bed with her and it was too soon to make a move. But, this was his chance. He knew that he'd be able to win her over now. It would take time, but he was determined.

"I wanna take you to dinner tonight," Jeff said.

"Jeff, I--" Hope started.

"It's not a date, I'm not hitting on you. Just two friends and dinner."

"I just wanna go back to the hotel and sleep."

"No. You've been doing that for a month. It's gotta stop."

"Jeff…"

"Please, Hope. I hate seeing you like this."

"Okay."

Hope frowned as she let out a heavy sigh. She knew Jeff was right. She couldn't just keep sulking around because Punk hurt her. She stole a glance at her ex-fiancé, watching as he sat in catering, staring after her. Even from far away, she saw that he still wanted her. Hope quickly turned back to Jeff, snuggling close to him. She didn't know how he did it, but even though they walked in silence, he made her feel so much better.

* * *

**A/N:** Hm, I have cuteness planned for later chapters! Don't forget to R&R! Luv, Nine.


	27. Chapter 27: You Can't Fix What's Broken

**A/N:** What's up, stars and studs! This is nearing the end fairly soon. Maybe forty chapters, maybe less. That's how long I planned on making it in the beginning. But, anyway. Much love to **Tiffany Minamino, Zay, I'mxAxRockstar, HighflyinJeffHardy, whitter23, Brie, Jeffismyhero1217, Mandy and petesluvr** for their reviews. You guys are the best! And, it's been exactly a year since I've started this. Wow, I can't believe it. Read. Review. Enjoy! Peace and love!  
**NO OWNAGE:** All superstars and divas own themselves. Vince owns Summerslam. **OWNAGE:** Hope is mine.

* * *

Jeff wasn't pleased with the look on Hope's face when she'd gotten into his car. She'd just been crying, considering that her eyes were still red and puffy. Jeff opened his mouth to say something, but she shook her head slowly. She didn't want to talk and he wouldn't push her. But, that sadness in her eyes killed him. Things got worse when they saw Punk and Maria eating at the same restaurant. _That bastard_. Jeff led Hope away from them before any eye contact could be made. They sat down at a table and Hope immediately sunk into a depression.

"What would you do if lost me?" Hope asked. "Would you be a dick like him?"

"I'd be lying if I told you losing you was something I could handle," Jeff replied.

"You'd fight for me, wouldn't you?"

"Of course."

Hope managed a faint smile, tucking her dark hair behind her ears. She kept glancing back at Punk, fighting her urges. She wanted to be over there in his arms with him whispering little things in her ear. She hated herself for missing him. Jeff saw the look on her face and he knew what she was thinking. If only she'd think about him that way. He saw those puppy dog eyes of hers and wished she'd look at him that way. He would've given anything for just one of those looks.

Jeff wouldn't stand for this any longer. He wasn't going to let Hope wallow, at least not in front of him. He gave her an ultimatum. She could either go back to the hotel and pout or she could start acting like she was having a good time. Hope was surprised by how blunt Jeff had been. But, he was right. Punk was out with Maria and he seemed happy. Why should she be the only one wallowing? Hope looked up and kissed Jeff on the corner of his mouth. She'd been going for his cheek, but he'd turned his head at the last second and their lips almost met.

"Thanks for saving me," Hope smiled.

"I hate seeing you hurt, sugar," Jeff whispered.

She'd almost kissed him. Jeff couldn't get over that. Her lips had been so close to his. But, she wasn't ready for that and he refused to push her. Hope would come to him on her own. But, she'd been so close to kissing him and she played it off like nothing. His heart was still racing. Part of him felt that the moment was even more special because she didn't kiss him. It was so genuine, just like her smile. How could Punk cheat on her? Jeff still couldn't wrap his head around that. Punk had to have _some_ reason behind it.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Jeff asked. "You look like you wanna die."

"You can't die from a broken heart. You only wish you did," Hope replied.

"Don't say that."

"Maybe I should try and fix this."

"Sometimes it's better to leave something broken than hurt yourself trying to fix it."

* * * * *

For a while, it seemed that things had gotten better. Summerslam was that Sunday and that was the only thing on anyone's mind. Even Hope was happy. She'd sworn off relationships for a while and intended on reinventing herself. Punk had barely even crossed her mind at all. Until she saw him with his tongue down Maria's throat. That's when she lost it. Hope had speared Punk and punched his face. To her surprise, he fought back and they brawled in catering. Jeff tried to break them apart but ended up getting sucked into the fight when he saw Punk slap Hope. Finally, Vince grabbed the two men by their shirt collars while he ordered the Big Show to contain Hope. Needless to say, the boss wasn't happy. He ordered the three to his office and they obeyed.

Vince yelled for about an hour. The bottom line was that he understood that Hope was hurt but if caught any of them brawling again, they'd be fired on the spot. He dismissed them from his office, but asked Hope to remain behind. She feared the worst, preparing herself for something terrible. Hope eased up when Vince said that he wanted to discuss her plans for Summerslam. When she'd finally gotten out of Vince's office, Punk was waiting for her. He gripped her by the waist, pressing her body against the wall.

"Get your fucking hands off of me!" Hope yelled.

"Please, Hope," Punk begged. "Talk to me. Let me explain."

"Explain what? Were you drunk, Mr. Straight Edge? Didn't think so."

"You're not being fair."

"Just stay away from me, Phil. I don't wanna see you again."

Hope kicked Punk in the shin before storming off. She was done with dealing with him. She stormed into the Diva's locker room, pushing past Kelly and Maryse. The other divas scattered out the way, all except Natalya. After being drafted to Smackdown, Hope had befriended Natalya instantly. But, right now, her friend couldn't calm her down. She was just so angry. It didn't help that Maria had just entered the locker room as well. Maria said nothing to Hope, not wanting to cause a fight. She'd been replaced by Natalya and that was something she had to accept. Maria already knew that John wouldn't be able to convince Hope to forgive her. She'd have to do that on her own.

* * * * *

Summerslam had finally rolled around and Melina was in the ring, eagerly awaiting her opponent. They hadn't told her who she was versing, just that it was for the Women's Championship. Melina assumed that it would be Gail Kim, considering that she was set to return that week on Smackdown. Or perhaps it was Natalya, one of the more deserving Divas. Melina knew for sure that it was Kelly Kelly or Alicia Fox. Those two girls couldn't wrestle to save their lives. Melina's smile faded when she heard the intro to Crazy Bitch by Buckcherry. She knew exactly whose music that was.

Hope headed down the ramp, an evil smile on her lips. Tonight was the night for her revenge. Melina had cost her the Women's Championship and now she was going to get it back. Referee Mike Chioda stepped between the two women right after Hope got into the ring. Moments later, he signaled for the bell and the match began. Hope let all of her anger and frustration out on Melina. Every hit, every DDT was for how badly Punk and Maria. If she wasn't allowed to beat the hell out of Punk, she'd beat the hell out of Maria. Hope made the mistake of taking a breather and Melina capitalized. Melina hit Hope with a springboard face buster followed by a body scissors takedown, hoping that would do the job.

But, it didn't. Hope kicked out at the very last second and hit Melina with a DDT. She climbed to the top rope and dropped an elbow on Melina before hooking her leg. Much to Hope's satisfaction, she didn't kick out before the three count was up. Referee Mike Chioda handed Hope the championship belt and raised her arm in victory. Melina glared at Hope, holding the back her neck in pain as she got out of the ring.

* * * * *

"Jeff, can I talk to you?" Matt asked.

Jeff managed to tear his eyes away from Hope's match when he heard his brother's voice. He just couldn't think of anything other than how to get Hope. Sure, it would be a little easier now without Punk in the picture. But, she was still hurting and he was too afraid to rush into things. Jeff just needed to find that middle ground and make Hope come to him. He was sure that she still had some feelings for him. He could see it in her eyes. Thanks to Punk, she assumed that he'd hurt her too.

"Jeff," Matt repeated.

"What?" Jeff looked. "Oh. Sorry. What were you saying?"

"There's something I have to tell you."

"Which is…?"

"After Hope told me that Punk cheated on her, we slept together."

"What?!"

"Look, she was desperate and, well, I was willing."

Jeff didn't know what to say. He didn't want to know that his brother had slept with the girl he desired. It was high on the list of things he didn't want to hear. Jeff just stared at his brother in shock. He honestly didn't believe that Matt could take advantage of Hope while she was desperate. Matt half expected Jeff to lash out at him or start screaming. Maybe all of that would come later when this all sank in for Jeff. Hurting Jeff and taking advantage of Hope had never been Matt's intentions that night. One thing just led to another and it couldn't be controlled.

* * * * *

Hope had left the arena before anyone and headed back to the hotel alone. She promised Natalya that she'd come out later on. But, at the moment, she needed to be alone. Hope locked herself in the bathroom, flicking on the lights. She sat the brown paper on the sink and pulled out a pregnancy test. She'd been feeling sick a lot lately and couldn't figure out why. When Natalya jokingly said that Hope's symptoms sounded like the morning sickness that went hand in hand with being pregnant, she'd freaked out. Peeing on the stupid stick wasn't what bothered her. It was waiting for the results that drove her insane. After what seemed like forever, Hope checked the results. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She jumped when she heard knocking on the door.

"Hope, are you okay in there?" Matt called.

"Yeah, I'll be out in a sec," Hope replied, shoving the pregnancy test into the garbage.

* * *

**A/N:** Dun dun DUN! Had to leave a cliffhanger. Don't worry. I don't think I have any cliffhangers left. Reviews make me happy. xD


	28. Chapter 28: Silence

**A/N:** Holler stars and studs! It's 3:30 in the AM here and I've got a final at 10. I couldn't sleep until I posted this. Woo. So here it is. I'm thinking the cuteness with start next chapter. Maybe. Much love to **Zay, I'mxAxRockstar, whitter23, Mandy, World's Biggest Jerichoholic, B0ttumofdabottle and Jeffismyhero1217** for their reviews! You peeps make my life! No lie! Read. Review. ENJOY! Peace and love!  
**NO OWNAGE:** Wrestlers own themselves. Hatter owns Kellie. **OWNAGE:** Hope is mine.

* * *

Matt raised an eyebrow and Hope darted out of the bathroom. She shoved past him before he could ask what was wrong. He just shrugged his shoulders and moved into the bathroom. The older Hardy tossed his phone onto the sink. Well, he tried to. The phone ended up falling into the garbage. Matt reached down to grab it and that's when he saw it. The pregnancy test. Correction. The _positive_ pregnancy test. Matt felt his heart jump into his throat. The test was obviously Hope's. No other female came into the room. He was the last person she slept with. This couldn't be happening.

But, it was. He saw it with his own eyes. John's voice calling out for Hope brought him back to reality. Matt left the bathroom, still trying to process what he'd just found out. Hope was pregnant with his kid. _His_ kid. Not Punk's, not Jeff's. His. Matt was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize John had been talking to him. John gave Matt a curious look, wondering what was going on in his head.

"You okay?" John asked.

"Hope's pregnant," Matt replied.

John laughed. "Good one. You almost got me there."

"I'm not joking."

"You knocked up my best friend?!"

John's eyes went cold as he slapped Matt across the face. Hope was pregnant? He didn't want to believe it. Matt had gotten Hope pregnant. It didn't seem possible, but John knew that it was very possible. His best friend had gotten pregnant. As if Hope wasn't dealing with enough at the moment. John knew that Matt was in shock as well. Just that one little night with her and she was now carrying his child. Hope was probably freaking out. John didn't say a word as he left to go find her.

John knew exactly where'd she'd be. They were in Boston and he remembered where she'd go every time she was hurt. It was an old, abandoned house not too far from where they'd grown up. Hope was sitting on the tire swing when John approached her. She didn't look up as he stood before her. He knew. Hope wasn't exactly surprised. John always knew when something was wrong. She couldn't hide anything from him. It wasn't possible considering how well they knew each other.

"You're pregnant." The words were so foreign to John.

"Does Matt know?" Hope asked.

John nodded.

"What am I gonna do?"

"Tomorrow, you and I are going to see a doctor."

"Why?"

"The test could've been a false positive."

Hope knew that John had a point. She just didn't believe it. Punk cheated on her, she still loved Jeff and now she was pregnant with Matt's baby. How could things get any more complicated? Hope allowed John to pull her into his arms and rested her head against his chest. If she really was pregnant, what did that mean for her relationship with Jeff? She had a feeling that Jeff wouldn't take kindly to her carrying his brother's baby. Without a doubt, it would lead to another fight. Hope didn't want to think of the consequences, considering that losing Jeff was one of them.

* * * * *

Punk sat in one of the locker rooms, lacing up his boots. The other superstars paid him no mind. He was used to it by now. He hadn't slept in weeks, he hadn't eaten much either. Everything made him sick. Things would've been easier to deal with if he wasn't straight edge. He just wanted to be numb. Punk was a bit surprised that Jeff wasn't putting the moves on Hope yet. But, they were always together. Every time he saw Hope, Jeff followed moments later. They didn't speak at all now. Punk moved out of the locker room, annoyed by the cold stares he was getting. His eyes lit up when he spotted Kellie. He strode over to the girl, slinging his arm around her shoulder.

"What the fuck do you want?" Kellie snapped, shoving him away.

"Let me take you out for a drink," Punk grasped her waist.

Kellie broke away from Punk and punched him in the face. She scoffed before storming off. Punk held his jaw in pain, cursing to himself. That was stupid of him. He didn't know what to do with himself anymore. Hope was everything to him and he'd lost her. Lately, he couldn't seem to do anything right. His matches were lackluster, he wasn't feeling well. It seemed that things had only gotten better for Hope. She'd dumped him and became Women's Champ again. Everything was going great for her. Where did that leave him? Alone. Hurt. Depressed. Punk didn't think that there was anything worth being happy about anymore. He should've been planning a wedding, not sulking around.

Punk looked up and saw John coming towards him. He looked angry. No. Worse than angry. Punk didn't even do anything. And then it hit him. Kellie was John's girlfriend. _Just my luck_. John didn't say a word when he approached Punk. He just punched the straight edge superstar in the face. He grabbed Punk by the shirt and shoved him up against the wall. John was so angry that his neck veins were popping out.

"You touch my girlfriend again and I'll beat the shit out of you," John spat.

"I didn't know she was your girlfriend!" Punk shot back.

"You stay away from Hope. She doesn't need you anymore."

"Mind your own damn business!"

Instead of punching him again, John stormed off. A cruel grin spread across Punk's lips. John and Kellie had inadvertently given him an idea to win Hope back. It was tactless, it was underhanded. But, it had to be done. Punk headed to find Adam Copeland, the one man that could help him. He remembered when Adam had drugged Kellie for Randy, all a plot that involved Jeff. Adam told him that he knew a guy that could get him a roofie before realizing what the straight edge superstar intended. Did he like that idea? Not at all. Sure, Adam did a lot of sleazy things. But, this was too much.

Punk wanted to drug Hope? It wasn't going to end well. Adam knew better than to cross the Hardys' women. He assumed that Punk knew better as well. Apparently he was wrong. Adam could already see that Punk was desperate. But, this wasn't the right way to go about things. This was going to make Hope hate him even more.

"You should really think twice about drugging Hope," Adam warned.

"You should think twice about minding your own business," Punk snapped.

* * * * *

John sat in the waiting room of the doctor's office, checking his watch. He wasn't sure how long Hope had been with the doctor. He was just grateful that no one had recognized them. If this were to hit the rumor sites, Hope would be even more devastated. When John looked up again, Hope was standing in front of him. She was biting on her bottom lip, holding out her hand to him. John grasped her small hand as she led him outside. He couldn't tell what the doctor said by the look on her face. Was she pregnant? Was everything okay? When they finally stopped at his car, Hope turned to him.

"Is everything okay?" John asked, concerned.

"I'm not pregnant," Hope replied.

"But, didn't you say that you were, uhm, late?"

"Doctor said that was because of all the stress I've been under."

John knew that stress was code for Punk cheating on her. Though she was smiling a lot more, he knew that it still affected her. He saw the way she looked at Punk when she passed him. John hated that she still loved him. The two drove back to the arena in silence, neither one wanting to talk. John knew that once he opened his mouth, he say something about Hope's feelings for Punk. He knew that would upset and that was the last thing he wanted. The two parted ways at the arena and Hope felt strong muscular arms surround her. Once she saw the tattoos, she knew it was Punk.

"What the hell do you want?" Hope snapped.

"Can we talk?" Punk asked.

"No. Stay away from me."

"Please, Hope. Let me take you out for a drink."

"Why? So you can get me drunk?"

"No. So you can see that you're perfect for me."

"Why can't you find someone else who's perfect for you?"

"Because no other girl in this world compares to you."

That was it. Hope was done. Punk's words were so sweet, so genuine. It took everything Hope had not to pull him into a kiss. She wanted to feel his lips on hers again, she wanted to take his lip ring between her teeth. Maybe forgiving him wouldn't be such a bad idea. _No! Hope, get a grip! He cheated on you, remember?_ Just like that, Hope felt her anger returning. The bastard had cheated on her. She couldn't forgive him. At least not yet. That would take a lot of time. But, talking to him wouldn't be so bad, would it? Sure, Jeff wouldn't approve. Hope just wouldn't tell him.

"I guess I can come to the bar for like an hour," Hope shrugged.

"Great. I'll pick you up when the show's over," Punk replied.

The straight edge superstar grinned before pulling Hope into a kiss. With another grin, he headed in the opposite direction. He knew that Hope was being very generous when she said she'd stay for an hour. He figured she'd only give him five minutes. But, a cruel smile spread across his lips. He was going to get her back tonight whether she was willing or not. The cards were on the table and he knew exactly how to play them.

* * * * *

Punk waited in his car for about a half hour before Hope finally emerged from the arena. He grinned at the way her tight jeans hugged her hips and the way her Star Wars t-shirt clung loosely to her body. She looked so beautiful to him. He resisted the urge to kiss when she slid into the passenger's seat. _Take it easy, Punk. Don't ruin this now. Stick to the plan_. The ride to the bar was silent and Hope didn't even look at him. She faced the window, glancing at him only once. Punk could tell that she still loved him. The look in her eyes gave it away. She'd never stopped loving him.

Before Punk could even say a word, Hope asked for a martini. She looked up at her ex fiancé, her hand reaching for his. Their fingers entwined and Punk smiled to himself. This was easier than he thought. As they spoke a bit, Hope kept asking for drinks. He apologized for cheating on her, she said that didn't make things okay. He brought up her cheating on him with Jeff, Hope fired back saying that Punk knew she had feelings for Jeff. Everything Punk said, Hope countered. But, Punk wasn't giving up. The cards were still in his favor.

Hope excused herself to use the bathroom and Punk saw his opportunity. Without even thinking about, Punk lifted the roofie from his pocket and casually slipped it into Hope's drink. There. It was done. There was no turning back now. Hope joined him once more, flashing him that cute little smile of hers. Punk returned her smile, but his was much more evil. Hope finished the last of her martini and started going on about how she couldn't trust him anymore. Her words pained him. Trust was a big thing to Hope. Once you lost her trust, that was it. Punk prayed that he'd be the only exception to that. In the middle of a sentence, Hope stopped speaking. She looked like she was getting dizzy and Punk knew that meant the drug was kicking in. Hope lost her balance and Punk quickly caught her before she fell off the bar stool.

"Are you okay?" Punk asked, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"I feel really dizzy," Hope whispered.

"C'mon, I'll take you back to the hotel. We can talk some other time."

Hope nodded before collapsing in his arms. True to his word, Punk brought her back to the hotel. But, he brought her back to _his_ room. This was his chance and he wasn't going to let it fly by. Hope would be his again. Punk gently placed Hope on the bed, quickly getting on top of her. She ordered him to take her to her suite, but he just left kisses all over her face. Hope kept going in and out of consciousness as she tried to push Punk away. Her body was too weak to move and her eyelids felt so heavy.

"Shh," Punk whispered. "Baby, I won't hurt you."

"Punk," Hope managed. "Stop…please."

Punk sat up, pulling off her shirt. His hands roamed freely around her breasts as she failed to swat him away. Her hands moved to his chest, trying to push him away. He grinned, knowing that she was too weak to fight back. Punk's lips came crashing down against hers as he unzipped her jeans, sliding them down to her ankles. Hope whimpered for him to stop before succumbing to the roofie. Punk's lips continued to move around her unconscious, his hands feeling all the familiar places. It sick, it was demented, it was twisted. But, to him, it was the only way.

* * *

**A/N: **Techinally, this isn't a cliffhanger. Technically. Review. :D


	29. Chapter 29: Slowly Breaking Down

**A/N:** Holler my stars and studs! I know it's been a while. I'm working on fixing that, I haven't died. I'll be updating hopefully this weekend and next week. Maybe a songfic too. We'll see. **Psst...** My birthday is in **seven days**. Write me something and I'll love you forever. Only if you want to of course. Much love to **I'mxAxRockstar, B0ttumofdabottle, Demonic Flame, Mandy, Angel, whitter23, Straight Edge Queen, matthotty101, hardygurl21 and extremechaingangenigma** for their reviews. I love you guys! Read. Review. Above all, enjoy! Peace and love!  
**NO OWNAGE:** Wrestlers own themselves. **OWNAGE:** I own Hope.

* * *

Edge wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do. He knew that Punk wanted to drug Hope and the right thing would've been to tell someone. But, then again, he and Jeff didn't exactly see eye to eye. Hope didn't deserve this. It didn't matter how much he hated the Hardys. They needed to know about Punk's plan and hopefully it wouldn't be too late to stop him. Edge made his way to the Hardys' hotel room and knocked lightly on the door. Jeff greeted him with a not so friendly glare. On any other occasion, Edge would've called him out. Now just wasn't the time. Though it took all of his willpower not to throw a punch.

"What do you want, Copeland?" Jeff sneered.

"It's about Hope," Edge started. "Punk's up to something."

"And I'm supposed to believe _you_?"

"I think he's gonna drug her."

Jeff rolled his eyes, refusing to believe Edge's words. He slammed the door in the Canadian's face, muttering under his breath. Who the hell did Edge think he was making up lies like that? Jeff honestly could've rung his neck. But, somehow, he managed to contain himself. It was bad enough that Jeff hated Hope being out with Punk, he didn't need Adam to screw around with him. Matt looked up at his brother and instantly knew something was wrong. He should've known when he heard Edge at the door.

"Everything okay?" Matt asked.

"Adam's just being his usual dick self," Jeff grumbled.

"What did he say?"

"Some bullshit about Punk wanting to drug Hope. As if I wasn't already pissed about her being with him."

Matt didn't reply at first. He was thinking about what Jeff said. On a good day, Punk would never even _think _about drugging Hope. But, everyone had noticed that Punk wasn't himself. Even so, would he really drug the woman he claimed to love so much? Matt glanced at up at his brother and saw that Jeff's nerves were completely on edge. That's when it clicked for the brothers. Punk was up to something. Jeff was the first to dart out the door, not caring that he didn't know where he was going. Matt suggested that they go ask the concierge where Punk's room was. Jeff agreed, trying to calm himself down.

What if Hope was hurt? What if Punk had done something terrible to her? Matt managed to sweet talk the female concierge into giving them Punk's room number. However, she refused to give him the key. Not having a key wasn't going to stop Jeff. He raced up to room 816 with Matt running close behind him. Without even thinking, Jeff kicked down the door. Neither one was prepared for what they saw. Punk was taking off Hope's jeans as he kissed her neck, his pants were already undone. Jeff took one look at Hope's unconscious, helpless body and he snapped.

He charged at Punk, tackling him to the ground. He kept throwing punches left and right as Punk tried to fight him off. Matt quickly moved towards Hope, checking to see if she was okay. As far as he could tell, she was just unconscious. He lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the room. Jeff grabbed Punk by the hair and slammed his head into the wall. As the straight edge superstar fell to his knees, Jeff smashed the lamp over his head. Punk felt the blood drip from his forehead as he struggled to his feet.

Punk tried to counter Jeff's attacks, but it was useless. Jeff seemed to overpower him, even when he got a hit in. The more he tried to fight back, the angrier the enigma got. He gave in, begging Jeff to stop. Jeff delivered one more blow to the head before pinning Punk up against the wall. He took a breath, trying to control his anger. It was no use. Punk had crossed the line hurting Hope this way.

"Stay the fuck away from Hope," Jeff spat. "I'll _kill_ you if I catch you anywhere near her."

Punk was grateful when Jeff finally left. His entire body was in excruciating pain. It all started to sink in. He could've killed Hope. What if he would've hurt her worse than he already did? He wouldn't be able to live with himself. Punk knew he'd screwed things up even more now. He'd really lost her this time. She'd never speak to him again and he couldn't blame her. He was a monster.

* * * * *

Jeff still couldn't calm himself down even after going back to his hotel room. Matt was sitting by Hope, just watching her. There was much else they could. She was still breathing, they just had to wait for the drug to wear off. But, Jeff couldn't wait. He needed to know _now_ that Hope was okay. Not in a few minutes or a few hours. He kept pacing back and forth, yelling and screaming about Punk.

"You need to calm down," Matt sighed.

"I can't!" Jeff roared. "He tried to rape her! You saw it!"

"You're not making things any better by screaming like a mad man."

Jeff opened his mouth to say something else, but changed his mind. Matt was right. His yelling and screaming wouldn't change anything. It might even make things worse. Jeff headed into the bathroom, hoping that a shower would calm him down. Even with the hot water against his skin, he could only think of Hope. He relaxed a bit knowing that she was safe and that they'd gotten there before it was too late. When he got out of the shower, Hope was awake and sitting up in bed. He quickly rushed to her side, shoving Matt out of the way.

"I'm fine, Jeff," Hope smiled. "You can relax."

"I shouldn't have let this happen to you," Jeff frowned.

"It's not your fault."

"I should've been there."

Hope took Jeff's hand, kissing him on the cheek. She saw the guilt in his eyes and she hated it. He'd done nothing wrong. She was the fool. She was the one that should've known better. Jeff sat on the bed, pulling Hope into his arms. She buried her face into his, crying softly. He felt her beat against his chest and he could see that Punk drugging her had shaken her up more than she wanted to admit. Jeff prayed that she'd bounce back from this. Not because he wanted to be with her, but because he couldn't stand to see her so helpless. Her grip loosened and the tears started to subside. She was starting to fall asleep and the brothers started to ease up.

Jeff held Hope close, knowing she couldn't be alone now. She was pretending to be strong so that he wouldn't worry. Even is she was mentally okay, he'd still be worried. Things like this didn't go away so easily. As he held Hope, Jeff wondered how Punk could stoop so low. Especially considering how he felt about drugs. Jeff just couldn't wrap his head around. Judging by the look on his face, neither could Matt. But, they didn't have much to worry about now that Hope was okay. Jeff was eternally grateful that they'd gotten to her before Punk really hurt her. He never would've forgiven himself.

"You think she'll be okay?" Matt asked.

"Honestly," Jeff frowned. "I don't know."

"What'd you do to him?"

"I taught him a lesson."

Matt wasn't surprised by his brother's vagueness. He didn't want to know all the details. He could only imagine how gruesome they actually were. Would he have surprised if Jeff had murdered Punk with his own bare hands? Not at all. However, he _was _surprised that Jeff _didn't_ murder Punk. Well, now that he knew Hope was okay, there was no reason to. Matt glanced at Hope, smiling when he saw that she'd fallen asleep. It pained him to know that the sleep wouldn't last long. She'd have nightmares of what happened. That was more than obvious. A part of Matt felt bad for Punk as well. The poor guy was probably freaking out, wondering how badly he'd hurt Hope. Would he get an answer? Probably not. Jeff intended on keeping Hope far away from Punk. That was how it had to be for now.

* * * * *

"No… Punk, stop… Please…"

Hope muttered the words over and over, her subconscious going back to the hotel room with Punk. He was on top of her, ripping off her clothes. Jeff immediately sat upright when he felt Hope tossing and turning. She was in tears as she tried to fight Punk off in her nightmare. Jeff attempted to grab Hope, but she threw a punch. Once he recovered from the hit, he managed to grab her. She kept hitting and sobbing as Jeff tried to wake her up. Hope sat up quickly, her breathing heavy, still feeling the effects of her nightmare.

"It's me, sugar. It's me. It's Jeff," he whispered, holding her.

It took a few minutes, but Hope finally realized she was in Jeff's arms. She pulled her knees to her chest, burying her head in her arms. Jeff couldn't see her cry again. She wouldn't allow it. He could sense her tears instantly and it killed him to know that he couldn't make her feel any better. Well, he could try. She just had to forget about Punk for a while. That wasn't the problem. Jeff had a feeling that Hope would go right back to Punk after he apologized and bought her something nice.

Just the thought alone sickened him to no end. He silently swore that he wouldn't let that happen. Hope had to be protected. Jeff couldn't help but smile knowing that Punk had lost her for good. When the time was right, he'd make his move. Right now, she needed him as a friend and he respected that. All he had to do was try and resist her. Try. It was pretty tough to resist her when she fit so perfectly in his arms. Hope sighed, shifting her body so that she could look up at Jeff.

"What am I gonna do now?" Hope asked. "I wanted to forgive him, but now…"

"No. I won't let you go back to him," Jeff snapped. "Drugging you is unforgivable, Hope."

"Then why do I feel so shitty without him?"

Jeff didn't know how to answer that question. When Hope started to fall asleep again, he realized she didn't want an answer. She probably wouldn't like it, but Jeff would keep Punk far away from her. She'd come to him now. Everything was falling into place. Well, at least he hoped everything was falling into place. There was a chance that Hope would never get over this. No. Jeff knew Hope better than that. She was a lot stronger than what she gave herself credit for. She'd bounce back, especially with his and Matt's help. Against his better judgment, Jeff was feeling a little sorry for Punk. It wasn't like he _wanted_ to hurt Hope. Still, Jeff knew that Hope wouldn't forgive him.

* * * * *

Punk felt like the biggest asshole on the planet when he walked into the Smackdown locker room the next day. It seemed that everyone had learned about what he'd done. Everywhere he looked, someone was giving him a glare. The superstars shunned him and the divas all cursed him. He couldn't blame any of them. His body was aching so much and the only thing he wanted was to see Hope's face. Instead, he looked up to see Maria joining him. Was she going to yell at him now? Did everyone really feel the need to make him feel even worse?

"Are you okay?" Maria asked, trying to hide her concern.

"What the hell do you care?" Punk snapped.

"I wanna help you. I know you didn't really wanna hurt her."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"I could talk to Hope."

Maria knew that probably wouldn't do much, considering Hope still wasn't speaking to her. But, she was praying that would be easily fixed. She'd given Hope enough time, right? They'd work things out and she'd get Hope to forgive Punk. Did he deserve to be forgiven? In Maria's eyes, he'd made a mistake because he was desperate. Everybody deserved a second chance. Even if they did something as terrible as what Punk did. Punk frowned, knowing that Maria was simply trying to help. But, Hope wouldn't be so easily swayed.

"I don't think she'll ever forgive me," Punk said.

"That's no reason to give up," Maria replied.

Punk figured that Maria had to have a point. It wouldn't be easy, but he had to win Hope back. Preferably _before_ Jeff stole her away. He wasn't blind. He knew that Jeff was already planning on making Hope his. He'd play on her emotions, knowing full well that she was vulnerable. It made Punk so angry to think about it. No. It made him _livid_. Hope didn't deserve to be played like that. But, Punk had his own plans. Jeff wasn't going to win now. Maybe for a little while, but even the enigma had to admit that Punk and Hope were meant to be. Hearing a familiar voice, Punk looked up to see Hope on her cell phone.

He just watched her, trying to listen to her conversation. From what he could tell, she was talking to John. He didn't doubt that John was threatening to kill him. Jeff had already threatened him and he was sure that Matt would as well. When Hope hung up her phone, Punk managed to make his way towards her. She didn't even look up at him and it killed him. She wasn't physically harmed, though he knew he'd really hurt her. Punk knew better than to reach out and hold her. He'd most likely get smacked.

"Hope, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking," Punk frowned. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"Y'know what's funny?" Hope snapped. "I was gonna forgive you because I loved you."

"Loved?"

"Go to hell."

Punk didn't say a word as Hope stormed off. Was she trying to say that she didn't love him anymore? It was a minor setback, but he wouldn't give up. Jeff was bound to break Hope's heart. The man couldn't commit. And Punk would be there to pick up the pieces. Sure, that would probably take a while. But, that was his plan B. Plan A had to be a lot more crafty and it had to work. There was still that little voice in his head telling him that he didn't deserve a second chance. He had to prove that voice wrong.

* * * * *

Jeff held Hope's hand as they walked the streets of his hometown. She'd been quiet ever since she'd run into Punk earlier. It was starting to drive him insane. She wouldn't say if Punk upset or anything about the matter. She just kept silent. Jeff sighed as he stopped walking, taking hold of both her hands. Hope looked him in the eye, biting on the corner of her lip. She knew her silence was upsetting him. But, she didn't want to talk about Punk or anything that had to do with him or how he hurt her.

"Are you okay, sugar?" Jeff asked.

"I'd be okay if everyone stopped asking me if I was okay," Hope muttered.

"I don't believe you."

"I just don't wanna talk about Punk."

Jeff was about to say something else, but found that Hope had gotten distracted by a pet store. Before he could stop her, she was cradling a small gold retriever puppy in her arms. He shook his head, already reading Hope's mind. She wanted the puppy. Granted, the furry little thing would get her mind off of Punk. But, he happened to know that her apartment building in New York didn't allow dogs. Hope turned face him and the smile on her face made it so hard for him to tell her no.

"Don't even ask," Jeff sighed.

"But, I want him," Hope pouted.

"Your apartment doesn't allow dogs."

Hope pouted again as Jeff excused himself to make a phone call. She put the puppy back in it's crate, fondly gazing at it. She almost jumped when she felt Jeff's hand on the small of her back. She turned to face him and was caught off guard by his smile. Jeff's arms surrounded her, pulling her close. He bowed his head and Hope felt her race as his lips inched towards hers and their eyes slipped shut. Just as they were about to touch, she pulled back.

"Too soon," Hope whispered.

* * *

**A/N:** So things will get cute, yes? Review.


	30. Chapter 30: Not Just a Dream

**A/N:** What's up, stars and studs? Well, I think there might be ten chapters left of this one. Sad, I know. But, they'll be filled with cuteness! Much love to **Zay, StackIsTheNewBlack, cravingforsomeJericho, extremechaingangegima, NellyLove, AlwaysLove90, Vi4Sunshine, whitter23, Ali Amnesia, I'mxAxRockstar, hardygirl87 and Hermione Sandwich** for their reviews. I y'all like a fat kid loves cake! Seriously. Read. _Review_. **ENJOY**. Peace and love!

* * *

Hope parted ways with Jeff when they headed back to the hotel. He hadn't been too keen on leaving her alone, but she'd insisted. Jeff sighed, just hoping that Punk wasn't up to something. The straight edge superstar wasn't the type to give up easily. Jeff knew that he had to keep Hope safe. What if Punk hurt her again? He refused to let that happen. As he walked, he noticed Punk heading in his direction. _Just great_. Jeff hoped that Punk would just keep walking, but something told him that wouldn't happen. A fight would start, he was sure of it.

Jeff kept his head down, hoping that Punk would get the hint and just ignore him. Sadly, that wasn't the case. Punk stood in front of him with his arms folded across his chest. No words were said, but Jeff could feel the other man's eyes on him. Something had to be said soon . The silence was only building up the tension and that would only make things worse. Jeff was seconds away from losing his cool. The only thing keeping him calm was that he had the one thing Punk desired most: Hope's trust.

"How is she?" Punk asked, finally breaking the silence between them.

"You drug her and now you have the balls to ask how she is?" Jeff snapped.

"She won't talk me and I just… I need to know."

"Physically, she's okay. But, you fucked her up mentally."

Punk frowned at Jeff's words. He already knew that he'd damaged Hope. He'd just hoped that it wasn't true. He'd just hoped that she'd be stronger than that. Punk never regretted anything, he never ached to take anything back. But, he kept wishing he could take what he did to Hope. His jealousy, his anger, none of that nattered. She deserved to be treated better than that. For the first time in his life, he regretted something. Now he understood more what drove people to poison their bodies with drugs and alcohol.

Jeff's patience was wearing thin. Punk could see it in his eyes. But, the enigma still had Hope's trust, maybe even her affection now. He needed to get that trust back. Maybe Jeff could help him. Punk almost laughed at the thought. There was no way Jeff would help him now. But, he was a desperate man. It wouldn't hurt to ask, right? What was the worst that could happen? Jeff could say no. He could get his ass kicked. Neither possibility seemed too awful. Besides, there was a strong possibility that Jeff would say yes. That possibility would be nonexistent if he were to ask John.

"I want her to trust me again," Punk admitted. "And I need you to help me."

"You've really lost your mind if you think I'm gonna help you," Jeff scoffed.

"Because you love her? Because you wanna seduce her?"

"My feelings for Hope have nothing to do with this."

"Shit!"

Hope groaned as she watched the Hershey bar she craved get stuck in the vending machine. That was just her luck. She hit the machine as hard as she could, but the chocolate remained stuck. Unfortunately for the machine, patience was a virtue Hope didn't have. She continued to hit the machine, yelling at it. The brunette didn't really care that some of the hotel guests had stopped and were staring at her. She felt someone put their hands on her shoulders and ease her out of the way. When she looked up, she saw John. He shook the vending machine once and the Hershey bar fell to the bottom. John passed the chocolate to Hope as she grumbled under her breath.

"Whatever's bugging you, H, I don't think it's the vending machine's fault," he teased.

"Screw you," Hope snapped.

"What's with you?"

"Jeff tried to kiss me today."

Hope sighed as she rested her back against the wall. For the first time since breaking up with Punk, her frustration had nothing to do with him. Truth be told, she'd _wanted_ Jeff to kiss her. But, the fear of getting hurt again overpowered her. She wanted to be with him now. Something kept stopping her from admitting that. Did he want her as much as she wanted him? At one time, he did. Hope wasn't sure if he still felt that way. Her heart couldn't handle rejection, not in it's fragile state. Part of her still wanted to go back to Punk.

"Let me guess," John sighed. "You pushed him away because you 'weren't ready'."

"I got scared," Hope frowned. "What if he doesn't love me anymore?"

"Bullshit. There's no way he stopped loving you."

"What makes you so sure?"

"He cares about you so much, Hope. Trust him."

Hope didn't say a word as John walked away. He was right, of course. Jeff cared about her and she wanted to trust him. But, what Punk did to her caused to be afraid. Never in her life had she been of afraid of anything. Now here she was, afraid of true love. What was wrong with that picture? Everything. Hope just wanted to find happiness again. Maybe Jeff was her key to everything she wanted. That was what John had been telling her all along. That Jeff was her soul mate, the one she was meant to be with. She wasn't so sure, but she had to take a chance to be given one.

Another three weeks came and went like nothing. Only now the superstars had two weeks of vacation time. Everyone seemed happy to be going home to relax. Everyone except Hope. She was going home to be alone. John had nearly begged her to come home with him, but she'd refused. Just because her ex fiancé had cheated on her then drugged her didn't mean that she needed to be treated like a baby. So John reluctantly went home on his own. Hope was still at the hotel as she watched everyone leave for the airport. She hadn't bought a ticket back to New York, wondering if she even wanted to go home.

Perhaps she could just disappear for a while. No. That wasn't good. The brunette didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. She was trying to avoid Matt and Jeff, knowing that they'd drag her to Cameron with them. The two of them didn't take no for answer. Figuring that everyone had gone, Hope gathered her stuff and stepped out of her hotel room. That was when she came face to face with Jeff.

"Go home, Jeff," Hope rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine."

"You're coming with us," Jeff smirked.

Before Hope could protest, Matt had grabbed her bags and Jeff had thrown her over his shoulders. She truly hated it when the brothers double teamed her. They always had that unfair advantage. Hope muttered under her breath as they shoved her into a taxi. Couldn't they have just asked her nicely? She _was_ capable of walking on her own. The brunette sat between the brothers, her arms folded across her chest. She thought about mentioning that she had no ticket, but she was sure that they'd already taken care of that. Unfortunately, they thought of everything.

Jeff was watching her. Hope hadn't looked up since they first got into the taxi, but she could feel Jeff's eyes on her. Just the thought of his eyes made her heart race. Hope nearly jumped when she felt Jeff's arm slide around her. She allowed him to pull her close and she rested her head on his chest. John's words kept echoing in her head. She had to trust Jeff. Even now being in his arms felt right. Hope snuggled closer to Jeff and she could almost feel him smile. All three were quiet as the taxi dropped them off at the airport. Hope barely noticed when Jeff laced his fingers with hers. She didn't noticeably react, but she felt her heart beat faster. The enigma led her away from Matt, a serious expression on his face.

"I'm sorry for kissing ya that day, Hope," Jeff frowned. "I let my feelings get the better of me."

Instead of saying anything, Hope grabbed Jeff by the shirt and pulled him into a kiss. She slipped her tongue into his mouth as she felt his arms slide around her waist. She pulled away briefly only so she could smile up at him. Jeff held her gently as they gazed at each other, a smile etched on his lips. He bowed his head, pulling her into another kiss. This was real, right? He wasn't imagining it? Hope's tongue did battle with his, her hands now gripping his t-shirt. Jeff didn't want to pull away, but he ached to know if this moment was real or not.

"Please tell me this isn't a dream," Jeff whispered.

"Nope," Hope smirked. "It's all real."

Their hands were entwined as they found their way back to Matt. The older Hardy gave them a curious look as he tried to hide a smirk. It wasn't like Jeff and Hope noticed. Their eyes were only on each other. The three boarded the plane and Matt couldn't help but smile. His brother had finally gotten the girl of his dreams. He could see how bright the smile was on Jeff's face. Matt only hoped that when the news of Jeff's and Hope's budding relationship got back to Punk that it wouldn't cause World War III. He knew that that was a strong possibility.

Punk was going home to clear his head. He couldn't make up another plan to get Hope back. That last one had screwed him over royally. How was he going to redeem himself for that? It seemed like such an impossibility. He really didn't want to give up, but the odds were really stacked against him now. Jeff was probably already manipulating Hope's fragile heart. The thought alone made Punk want to punch something. He took a deep breath, regaining his composure as he unlocked the front door to his house. He made his way inside, tossing his suitcases to the side. Just as he was about get comfortable, the doorbell rang. Grumbling to himself, Punk went to answer it and was surprised to see Maria standing on his doorstep.

The redhead flashed him a soft smile as he motioned for her to come in. They were two outcasts now. Though most had chosen to forgive Maria as of late, considering that her betrayal hadn't been so bad. But, Hope's forgiveness was most important and she still didn't have that. That would (hopefully) be changing soon. Maria intended on asking for Hope's forgiveness after these two weeks were over. Well, that was as long as her nerves held up. She truly hated not speaking to her best friend.

"What are you doing here?" Punk asked, hating that he sounded harsh.

"I figured you wouldn't wanna be alone for two weeks," Maria replied.

"You'll save me from being alone with my thoughts."

"Hope will never take you back if you continue with this pity party."

Punk had half a mind to argue that Hope wouldn't take him back at all. But, there was still a chance of that. It might've been a small one, but a chance was still a chance. That was probably the only thing that kept him going. Punk was grateful to have Maria with him now. Maybe talking to someone would make his problems easier to fix. That was a joke. But, at least Maria would be able to talk some sense into him. He needed that more than anything right now. As soon as he cleared all this insanity from head, he could win Hope back the _right_ way.

From the moment the plane had touched down in Cameron, Hope and Jeff had been wrapped up in each other's arms. At this point, Matt found it sickening. But, he just ignored them. They left him alone when they arrived back at his house anyway. Jeff led Hope out back, pulling her down onto the soft grass. Their lips met briefly before she rested her head against his chest. He didn't want to let her go and she didn't seem to mind. The enigma was still having trouble believing that this was all real. Hope was _his_. It'd finally happened. Hope smiled when she noticed the far off look in his eyes. She knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I'm really yours," she whispered in his ear.

"Feels like a dream" Jeff smiled.

Hope laughed as he left kisses along the nape of her neck. John was right. Jeff made her happy. They belonged together and she hated herself for not seeing it sooner. She turned her head, catching Jeff in a kiss. He pushed her back against the grass as he straddled her, his hands slipping under her shirt. Her arms moved around his neck after he'd pulled off her shirt. Their lips didn't part and their hands kept roaming, even when Matt had called out that dinner was ready. They were lost in their own little world. Jeff paused for a moment, looking Hope straight in the eye.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she grinned.

* * *

**A/N: **There. The start of cuteness. Review. xD


	31. Chapter 31: To Forgive or Not to Forgive

**A/N:** Good morning, Upper East Siders! Updates for y'all! I still can't believe this one's coming to an end. Possibly in four chapters or nine. We'll see how it goes. Much love to **Kate, Nikki, Hermione Sandwhich, Zay, hardygirl87, Straight Edge Queen, WWEFan182, g2Luvmeh, kizzy, x0xSkylerFatex0x, Roonani, JNHMMH4eva, SOAHardyOrtonCenaFan** for their awesome reviews. You guys are the best! Read. _Review_. **ENJOY**! Peace and love!

"Who's that girl? Is that Hope?"

Matt turned away from the window at the sound of his father's voice. Looks like he wasn't the only one spying on Jeff. He wasn't surprised to hear his father ask about Hope. When Jeff hadn't been able to deal with his feelings, he'd turned to their father. He nodded his head as a response to his father's question, before glancing briefly at his brother. Jeff looked so happy just laying in the grass with Hope. But, something in his gut told Matt that his brother's happiness would be short lived. He just hoped that he was overreacting.

"Last I heard, she was still engaged to someone else," Gil said.

"It's a long, complicated story, but he broke her heart and Jeff's been trying comfort her," Matt replied.

"You think she'll be good for him?"

"Absolutely."

There was no doubt in Matt's mind that Jeff and Hope would be good for each other. Anybody could see that. When Jeff had given up on love for good, Hope had unknowingly showed him that love had a funny way of finding you. They couldn't have been more perfect for each other. As he watched the couple snuggle in the grass, that aching feeling crept up on him again. Why did he get the feeling that their happiness would be short lived? Because he knew Punk still desired Hope. The idiot probably wanted to win her back. What lengths would he go to this time to try and win her over? Matt was afraid to know for sure, but he took it upon himself to make sure that Punk didn't win.

xXx xXx xXx

"What if she doesn't forgive you?" Punk asked.

Maria sighed at his words. As the two weeks of vacation were now coming to a close, he'd asked that more frequently. The redhead just didn't have an answer for it. Helping Punk win back Hope all depended on Hope forgiving _her_. Would that happen? Maria wasn't so sure. But, she wasn't backing down. She missed her best friend terribly and was prepared to do anything to get forgiveness. Begging, groveling, bribery. She'd do any of it. She collapsed onto the couch next to Punk, wishing he hadn't asked that question. She hated thinking about all the negativity, but he made a perfectly valid point.

"I don't know, Punk," Maria frowned. "I really don't."

"If she doesn't forgive you, then there's no hope for me," Punk replied. "No pun intended."

"You know she has feelings for Jeff too."

Punk felt his fists clench at her words. Jeff. He was willing to bet that Jeff was already making moves on Hope. It made him sick to his stomach. It just wasn't fair. Hope was supposed be _his_, no one else's. He didn't hate Jeff. No, he just envied him. Punk would've given anything to have Hope talk to him. She still refused to answer his calls. Or maybe that was Jeff's doing. He took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself, not wanting to snap at Maria.

"_He_ doesn't matter," he said through clenched teeth. "She'll realize that it's me she really loves."

"Just don't do anything stupid again," Maria replied.

xXx xXx xXx

After the way things ended with Punk, Hope was still surprised that she'd moved on so quickly. She couldn't even find the words to express how happy she was with Jeff, but she had a feeling that Punk would try to seduce her. John had mentioned that the straight edge superstar was looking to win her back. It just wasn't going to happen. She was done with him and nothing he said would change that. Though she would've been lying if she said that she didn't miss him. But, could they even have a friendship after what he put her through? She honestly wasn't sure.

"Hope, can I talk to you?"

The brunette looked up to see Maria standing in the doorway of the locker room. For a moment, she just sat there motionless. It'd been so long since the pair had spoken to each other and Hope missed her friend terribly. She gave a soft nod and Maria entered the locker room, sitting across from Hope. She wasn't sure what to say. The words were getting stuck in her throat. Maybe this was a bad idea. As Maria started to leave, Hope called her name.

"Ria, please don't go," Hope murmured.

Maria stopped walking, turning to face her former friend.

"I miss you, I miss talking to you."

"I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I made a mistake with Punk, an absolutely terrible mistake."

"Can we be friends again? I moved on and I'm over all of this, I just… I just want my best friend back."

Maria nodded her head vigorously as Hope pulled her into a hug. Both women felt tears sting their eyes, but they were too happy to care. The redhead felt like a great weight was just lifted off her chest. Hope had forgiven her. She got what she truly wanted; Hope's forgiveness. Now they could get their friendship back on track. So when was Maria supposed to tell her friend that Punk wasn't giving up on her?

xXx xXx xXx

Punk ached to know if Maria had spoken to Hope. The redhead had promised to call him right after, but she hadn't. Did that mean things had gone bad? If so, how badly did things go? Was there a fight? He hated not knowing where he stood. If Maria failed to win back Hope's friendship, then he was completely screwed. Part of him thought he was screwed either way, but he was trying to remain positive. Punk tried to stifle a groan as he saw Jeff and John enter the arena.

He saw something in Jeff's eyes, something he didn't like. His stomach dropped, wondering exactly _what_ happened between Jeff and Hope in the past two weeks. The feeling him in his gut told him that now the odds were even more stacked against him. To top that off, Jeff had noticed him and was heading in his direction. This wasn't going to end well. Both men had such a knack for getting on each other's nerves and now wouldn't be any different.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jeff demanded. "You're not on Smackdown."

"Neither are you," Punk snapped through gritted teeth.

"Hope doesn't wanna see you. You're wasting your time."

"We'll see about that."

Jeff nearly lost his cool, but he managed to hold himself back. Punk wasn't going to upset him with his little delusion. The enigma knew that Hope wouldn't take Punk back no matter how much he begged. Especially not now since she moved on. Part of Jeff, the caring part, felt a little sorry for Punk. It was obvious that the guy truly loved Hope. But, he'd made an unforgivable mistake and he'd have to suffer the consequences. He should've thought twice before hurting Hope.

A smirk crept onto the Enigma's lips when he saw the look on Punk's face. It was killing the Straight Edge Superstar not knowing whether or not Hope had moved on. Jeff could only imagine the defeat Punk would feel when he found out the truth. It gave him some sort of sick pleasure. He had everything Punk wanted: Hope's love, affection and most important, her trust. The enigma knew it was wrong to shove all that in Punk's face, but he didn't care. The straight edge superstar didn't deserve his kindness.

"Hope moved on," Jeff smirked. "She doesn't care about you anymore."

"You really think you can love her more than I do?" Punk countered.

"I love her more than your feeble mind could possibly imagine."

"We'll see about that."

xXx xXx xXx

Hope couldn't get the smile off of her face even if she wanted to. It felt so good to patch things up with Maria. She felt like things were slowly falling back into place. She had Jeff, she had her friends. Now she could once again focus on her career. After all, she was the Women's Champion and she had to defend her title. She was back in the locker room now, getting ready for her match against Kelly. Getting coffee with Maria really boosted her spirits and that proved to be something that she really needed.

"What's got you all happy?" John asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Maria and I worked things," Hope replied, glancing up at her best friend.

"Good. You know, it was killing her that you two weren't talking."

"Believe me, it was killing me too."

"I sincerely hope that this doesn't mean you're going forgive Punk."

John watched as Hope's back stiffened and she started chewing on her bottom lip. He knew exactly what that gesture meant. She was thinking of forgiving Punk. She wouldn't look him in the eye because she didn't want to see his reaction. John honestly wanted to scream. There was no way that he'd let Hope forgive Punk after everything he'd done. She still wouldn't look him in the eye and he wanted to scream. Why was she even thinking of this? Hadn't she moved on to Jeff?

"I didn't wanna tell you because I knew you'd be angry," Hope muttered.

"No, Hope, I'm _beyond _angry," John snapped.

"You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"This isn't nothing. Punk drugged you, tried to rape you and you wanna forgive him?"

Hope finally dared to look up at John and she saw the anger in his eyes. Of course, she knew that he was one hundred percent right. After everything Punk put her through, he didn't deserve her forgiveness. But, that didn't stop her from missing him quite terribly. She missed his laughter, his smile, the way he held. Yeah, she was infinitely happy with Jeff. That still didn't change how she felt about Punk and she hated it.

"Think about Jeff. Don't you love him?" John glared.

"Fuck, John, I'm not saying that I wanna get back together with him!" Hope yelled. "I'm just saying that I miss him in my life. Is that so wrong?"

"You know what? Forget it. Let Punk back into your life, just don't come crying to me when hurts you again."

John knew he was probably being too harsh, but that didn't stop him from slamming the door as he stormed out of the locker room. Had he stayed, he knew that he would've ended up saying something that he regretted. Hope was his best friend and the last thing he wanted was to see her fall under Punk's disastrous spell again. So how was he supposed to convince her that Punk was supposed to stay in her past?

xXx xXx xXx

The fake smile slipped off of Hope's face the moment she made it backstage. She'd put on a happy face for her match and her fans, but her mind was still stuck on John. She truly hated fighting with him, but she was just so stubborn. The brunette let a little smile cross her lips when she felt Jeff wrap his arms around her. Maybe John was right. Maybe, if she was this happy with Jeff, she didn't need Punk in her life. Maybe she'd actually believe that for once.

"You okay?" Jeff asked, looking her in the eye.

"John and I got to a fight earlier and it's still bumming me out," Hope sighed.

"Why don't you get changed and we'll go to Pinkberry? I know that'll make you feel better."

Hope nodded before pulling Jeff in for a kiss. She promised to be ready in ten minutes and Jeff stole another kiss before departing. The brunette already felt a bit better as she headed back to the locker room. She and John would make up, they always did. They'd apologize to each other and things would be good again. Hope felt her heart jumped into her throat when she saw Punk blocking the entrance to the locker room.

"Hey," he said.

* * *

**A/N:** Boom. Review. Love you guys!


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